


Probably would've died, I reckon!

by VanessaWolfie



Series: Life, I reckon! [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Canonical Child Abuse, Gen, Good Severus Snape, Harry Potter Gets the Love He Deserves, Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape Friendship, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Past Child Abuse, Severus Snape Adopts Harry Potter, Severus Snape-centric, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 30,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26269753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanessaWolfie/pseuds/VanessaWolfie
Summary: Harry questions his view of Snape after finding out he hadn't been trying to kill him but protect him. He goes down to the dungeons to confront Snape about it.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Severus Snape
Series: Life, I reckon! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968409
Comments: 202
Kudos: 1117





	1. Thank you

**Author's Note:**

> This has been running around my head for a week so there you go.

Harry was curious. It was sort of how he got himself into all this trouble this year, and even when he tried to keep out of it, he somehow ended up right smack in the middle of it.

He’d been curious about his family and that’s why he’d kept looking for the Mirror of Erised. He was quick to assume from looking at how people behaved, as he’d quickly learned to categorise people into two major groups; mean or good. After the conversation with Dumbledore, he had a think, lying in the hospital wing bed, about Snape. He’d been quick to judge him, he was very clearly mean, like Dudley, Draco, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Voldemort.

But, he’d been wrong to assume this meant Snape would try and hurt him. He’d apparently been trying to save him all year, which Harry frankly thought must have been stressful, since Harry had repeatedly been hurt or almost hurt all year.

And then Dumbledore had said Snape didn’t like Harry because of his Dad and Harry first thought that was unfair, until he thought about how he’d thought Snape himself was mean right from the start.

He kind of wanted to talk to Snape. Maybe try and thank him at least.

Severus was sitting in his office down in the dungeons when someone knocked on the door. He scowled, the feast was only a few hours away, why would anyone need him now. Merlin, he hated this job. Teaching young people the basics of potions was not really his calling. He’d loved research and experimenting on new things, which you couldn’t quite do with people that couldn’t brew a calming potion without it threatening a few explosions meanwhile.

He flicked his wand at the door, letting it swing open. “Come in.” he said.

“Professor Snape?”

Severus’s head swivelled up from his book in an instant. Out of every single person at the castle, Severus had not suspected _Harry bloody Potter_ coming to his office. Classes were over, they had no reason to see each other until the next term in September!

“Mister Potter, what is it I can _help_ you with, tonight.” Severus drawled, trying to sound bored and annoyed, rather than intrigue as he was.

“Well, Professor Snape,” the boy really seemed to be emphasising the professor, like he was making sure he’d say it. “the Headmaster told me some interesting things today about that night with Voldemort,” here Severus shivered. Great, so now he had to tackle the boy saying that name in addition to Dumbledore. “and I wanted to thank you.”

Severus had to think back a few times, he’d been so distracted with the Voldemort thing. “Thank me?!”

Harry looked uncomfortable, but determined, and for the first time all year, Severus could see Lily shine through.

“Yes, Professor Snape, Quirrel said you’d been casting the counter-curse at the Quidditch Pitch and then refereed the game – to the decline of public opinion about you – to make sure it didn’t happen again. Professor Dumbledore said you did it because you owed my dad a debt, but anyhow, you didn’t have to do that and I’m thankful. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if this year had been worse. Probably would’ve died, I reckon.”

Severus had to quell a smile at that. God, Lily’s horrible sense of humour somehow got passed down to this boy; this boy that looked so much like _Potter_.

“As great of a Headmaster Dumbledore might be, he is wrong here. I haven’t been protecting you because of your father, but rather because of your mother.” Here Severus stopped, trying to focus on not getting too emotional at the thought of Lily. He was still so _angry_ about it all. At himself, at Dumbledore, at _Potter_ and at Voldemort that it was hard to speak about her.

For once, the boy seemed to hold his tongue and didn’t rush in with questions. To be honest, thinking back on the year, Harry hadn’t really asked a lot of questions, even though he was sometimes very obviously curious. Snape couldn’t help but compare it to young Lily, who asked about _everything_ and young _Potter_ , who felt entitled to everything, information or things. He himself on the other hand, had kept his questions close, only asking his friends, or books or whatever semi-private resource he had. Too used to questions being forbidden and a cause of aggravation.

It was only after Severus got stuck in reminiscing that Harry cleared his throat quietly and hesitatingly prompted, “My _mother,_ Professor?” seeming unfamiliar with the phrase “mother”, which, with a lump in his throat, Severus could see was reasonable.

“Yes, I knew your mother, from before we went to Hogwarts. We were the same year, you see.” Severus let out, thinking that couldn’t be too incriminating. “I know she would come haunt me if I let anything hurt you.”

Harry smiled a little, until he noticed Severus looking at him and then it turned quickly into a nervous blank face. “I would, would you, no never mind. Of course not. No matter the reason, I wanted to thank you, and apologise for thinking you were helping Voldemort get the stone.”

Severus reacted before he could think. “Believe me, _Mister Potter_ ,” he bit out “there is nothing that would incite me to bring back that horrid being. Destruction followed that man and I never want to have to battle that again.”

He flushed as he looked at the boy, who was taken aback by the emotional response. He hadn’t meant to say that, but Merlin he got offended at the insinuation that he’d want that man back into power.

They both stood there for a few minutes, staring to the floor, embarrassed and uncomfortable. To Severus’s surprise, the boy shook it off first.

“I’m glad, Professor Snape. He’s very very gross. The way he talked, and his presence, it felt so horrible. I really do hope I never have to feel it again, but Dumb- I mean, Professor Dumbledore does seem to think he’s going to try and come back some other way.

Severus slumped in his seat. “Yeah, that seems to be the consensus, doesn’t it? That he’s very much not dead. Guess news of your greatness have been somewhat exaggerated then. Well, now, before we descend into complete depression here, Mister Potter, we should get going up to the feast.”

It seemed Harry was still young enough that the news of food and festiveness still made him forget all his troubles.

Severus was not so lucky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probs going to add a chapter on the summer between book1-2 ... but don't know how much after that.


	2. Breaking habits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petunia discovers her family has a bad habit while Harry is away at Hogwarts. When he gets back, she takes care of it.   
> Severus discovers some truths and realises he might need to break some habit patterns.

In the car with the Dursleys’ going back from the train, Harry thought back on his conversation with Snape. He’d longed to ask the man about his mother. He knew so very little about his parents, and all anyone ever said was about his dad. He wanted to know more, but he also knew better than to ask too many questions.

He thought to what little Snape had let slip out. _Knew her before Hogwarts_. Huh, but that must mean…

As Harry walked past Aunt Petunia on his way inside, he wondered if he should just do it. Ask her about Snape. But then again, the Dursleys’ were going to be bad enough now at first after a whole school year apart. Better not start with begging for yelling and shrieking.

~~~

A few days later, Harry walked into the kitchen to find Aunt Petunia all alone, sitting and reading the paper. For once her nose didn’t seem to be sticking out the window watching their neighbours, so Harry decided to try.

“Aunt Petunia?” he started, wanting to hear her tone before diving right in.

“Yes, what is it?” she muttered, still looking at the paper. He found she looked at him less and less these days after Hogwarts.

“I met someone at school, and I was wondering if you knew them. Severus Snape?” Harry asked, completely ready to run off into his room if his Aunt exploded at this.

She startled, but still didn’t look up. “Of course _he’s_ still alive, disgusting vermin. Did he tell you stories of me? I bet Lily went crying to him all the time about her mean older sister.”

Harry shook at the low, hateful tone. Clearly Snape was not any higher on Aunt Petunia’s list of people than Harry himself was. He didn’t like the way she talked about his mother, but he could excuse some of that as sibling rivalry, as he’d been hanging out with Ron and the other Weasley’s all year.

“No, it barely came up that he knew Mom, but he said he knew her before school, so I thought that must mean you knew him too.” Harry said, unsure of why he’d brought the whole thing up anymore. It wasn’t like Aunt Petunia would tell him any more of his mother. At least not anything nice. _Or he suspected, true._

~~~~

Petunia was a settled woman. She had everything she had set out for herself after school. A family, a child, a husband and nice house. She didn’t have to work, Vernon did that and she could keep her garden and tend to her boys. The problem was … as always, related to her sister. Darling Lily, as she’d so often been called by their parents, had somehow always managed to make Petunia’s life worse, while everybody else complimented her to the sky and back.

Petunia’s current problem was _the boy_. She’d stopped noticing how awful they treated him over the years. Maybe it got to be a habit, maybe she just didn’t like fighting with Vernon and started ignoring it, and to be fair, even Petunia knew she was very good at ignoring things. She’d always been able to ignore her sister’s attempts at reconcile, because it didn’t suit her narrative. Until the day Lily died, Petunia maintained that the rift in their relationship was Lily’s fault and the fault of her innate _freakiness_ , but as she’d gotten the news, she’d been slammed with the undeniable truth that it hadn’t been Lily, it had been her, and her inability to put their differences aside and focus on the family love.

Then, Harry went to Hogwarts. And for a week, all Petunia noticed was the relief of no fighting with Vernon about _the boy_. Then, she started noticing how her workload increased, to the point where she had to rest a bit more in the evenings these days. Thinking on it, she wasn’t sure you should be more tired when the children left the house. Still, it wasn’t until _the boy_ came back that she really marked it. They treated him awful. To the point of abuse. The boy had clearly grown and gotten more muscle at the school, but still he was swimming in Dudley’s clothes. She tried feeding him a bit more, but Dudley and Vernon took notice and grabbed it back. She wasn’t going to turn this into a fight… because this, as well, was really just Lily’s problem of not having thought of a better place for the boy to stay. Really, there was no room for him here, in Petunia’s perfect little family.

She kept thinking about it though, and then one day, a week after Harry came back, he started a conversation with her in the kitchen. She’d been willing to listen, knowing that Vernon and Dudley were out of the house. Even though she despised the man Harry mentioned, it sparked an idea. She would never forget his address, cause it was the last place on earth she wanted to live and she’d known it at 13 when Severus entered their lives first.

_Snape_ (she couldn’t give him a title. Horrid little kid)

_I write you about a boy you have now apparently met. When I took Harry in, I did not know what trouble he would cause my family. I also thought it sure that none of Lily’s friends were alive since he was left with me by that godawful Dumbledore. Now, Harry has informed me you are alive and talking of Lily, so I request you come take him. He won’t do any good here, my husband and son do not know any other way than put him down and I care too much for my family peace to intervene. He came home this summer and I suddenly realised Lily would not have wanted this. We live at 4 Private Drive in Surrey and I would very much appreciate it if you did Lily this favour and took the boy out of my house._

_Petunia Dursley (nee Evans)_

~~~

Severus sat in his hovel of a house, when suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. He frowned. No one was supposed to be able to walk up to the house like that. He went to answer, wand help firm in his hand, ready for anything, only to startle badly as he opened the door to find the mailman. No mail ever came to his house anymore, because no one remembered this address anymore, at least no one muggle enough to send post.

He opened it, after casting spells on it to make sure it wasn’t cursed. He even poured a neutralising potion on it, not wanting to take any chances. Then, carefully, dreading whatever a muggle could be contacting him about, probably outstanding debt or grievance by his dad.

That wasn’t it at all. His eyes scanned the paper quick, after noticing the signature at the bottom.

Harry Potter was being raised by muggles? And that horrible one? Well, that seemed to explain a few things, like the fact that the boy hadn’t seemed to know a thing about magic when he arrived. Merlin, and Severus had just went on to bully him about it.

Yeah, bully. Because quizzing a famous wizarding child on basic potion knowledge in the first class had been supposed to put him on the spot and grill him a bit, but not actually revel in the fact that he _had no idea_. For the love of magic, he’d been just as bad as _Potter_ had been to him as a child, pointing out his lack of clothes and good accent.

He took a few days thinking about it, because no matter what Petunia might seem to think, taking in a child was not something you just _did_. However, that comment about Dumbledore just leaving Harry with Petunia, without what it seemed much information, meant that he also didn’t want that Headmasters opinion of this.

Eventually, he found himself cleaning out one of the rooms in his house, setting up for a young boy to stay there, going as far as grabbing age-appropriate books around the house to put in the shelves and then, one day, his pantry was suddenly full of stables, in distressingly duplicate amounts and he resigned himself to the obvious. He was going to take in Harry Potter.


	3. Won't ever come back!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus comes to the Dursley household with only one goal.

Petunia, Harry and Severus weren’t lucky enough that Vernon and Dudley were out of the house. No, as a matter of fact, in the interval of days between the sending of the letter by Petunia, and Severus filling his pantry, the Masons had been over, Dobby had been over, and bars had been put around windows.

They were lucky enough, (or Severus was smart enough), that Severus had thought to wear muggle clothing. He had distinctly remembered how Lily had cried at her sister’s reaction to her cloaks and robes, so he kept it modest. This made it possible for Petunia to invite him into the kitchen without Vernon having a heart attack, but as they whispered in hush tones about their plans, it became clear to Severus he wasn’t just going to exit this house quietly with the Boy Who Lived.

“I thought you wanted him out.” Severus muttered at Petunia.

“Of course, but Vernon doesn’t like that when he comes back from those things he’s always just more weird. He spoils everything for my darling Vernon, and my Duddykins. We might be able to convince him if you make it clear Harry will never come back.” Petunia hissed back and Severus thought suddenly that she would probably be a cat like McGonagall if she ever became an Animagus.

Severus brushed off the sweat on his forehead at that thought. This was it. There was no taking the boy back. If he did this, he would from now on for at least the next 6 years be responsible for a child.

Severus ended up just making eye contact and nodding. Petunia apparently took this to be good enough and called Vernon in.

“This man here is going to take Harry, for good. He’ll never come back.” She said and even though Severus expected this to be good news in this household that seemed to _hate_ magic, the walrus of a man still grew all red and seemed to be about to shout. That was a bit too much for Severus and he pulled out his wand and said darkly, “Tortured muggles as a spy before, Mr. Dursley. Wouldn’t be so hard to remember how it went.”

Petunia shot him a glare and pulled Vernon to the sitting room, hissing at Severus to just go get the boy, “he’s in the locked bedroom upstairs, I’m guessing you have ways to get around a locked door,” and then Severus could hear her whisper platitudes at her bad-tempered husband and for a split second Severus considered if maybe she’s not doing so good in this marriage, until he remembered how horrid she was, even was in that letter, and just went to collect Harry.

He unlocked the door, frowning hard at the cat flap on the door. He heard Harry gasp on the other side and knew the kid saw the magic of that unlocking. The boy had rushed to the door when Severus opened it, but he stopped short as he noticed who it was.

Severus couldn’t help but smile at the confused look on Harry’s face, as he tried to figure out what was going on.

“Pro-Professor Snape. What are you doing here?” he spluttered, and Severus would’ve delighted in telling him, just to get him to drop his jaw to the floor, except he spotted the padlocked owl cage and turned livid.

“Locking up a child, locking up an animal, I’ll lock them up, just you see,” he muttered, so mad he didn’t even realise he’s saying it out loud.

“Uh, Professor, please, can you tell me what is going on? My Aunt and Uncle don’t really like it when anyone _magic_ is here, and I don’t really fancy getting into more trouble right now.” Harry pleaded, which, fuck, that made Severus snap out of it and look at him, standing there, clearly half-starving, not even 12 yet and he’s dressed in the most pitiful clothing Severus has ever seen, and that’s saying something. He’d worn clothes off his father, and from the Salvation Army, but Harry looks like he could actually go swimming _inside_ his clothing.

Severus wasn’t even going to think of the tone Harry’s voice took as he’d muttered the word _magic_ under his breath, like it was more taboo of a word than the Dark Lords’ name.

“They know I’m here. Actually, your Aunt contacted me. Now, like you just said, they aren’t the most patient and understanding, so I want you to listen to me very carefully. We both made assumptions about each other this last year, which affected how we treated each other. Now that we have realised that, I expect our behaviour to change. That being said, I’m here to offer you to come live with me. Your Aunt has made it clear you are neither wanted here nor cared for properly, and flawed of a person as I am, I believe I can do the basics of that better than that horrible red walrus of a husband of hers.”

Severus stopped to look at Harry, hoping the boy was smart enough to get all that and see that they didn’t have a lot of time. Afraid the boy would say no, based on Severus’s past behaviour, but more afraid of how that horribly fat man downstairs would treat Harry if he’d leave him there.

Harry’s upper lip trembled, and then Severus saw him squeeze his fist together and stop, before he said, voice full of disbelief, “Do you mean it, Professor? I won’t ever have to come back here?” and all Severus had been able to do was nod and point the way out of this cage of a room in reply.

Then Harry sank to the floor with a sigh of relief and Severus took it as permission to start packing into the backpack peeking from the bottom of the bed. He thrust the owl cage at Harry and grabbed the backpack, after the minute of work it took to pack everything in the room, barren as it was.

“Where is your school stuff?” Severus asked, for a lack of better terms. He had a thought that anything _magic_ was not well tolerated in this house. He shook his head, Dumbledore’s grand plans for the greater good never did include checking up on the homelife of his pawns, now did it?

Harry didn’t answer, just led him down the stairs and then a sharp turn to a door hidden under the stairs. It was locked, but Severus did quickly away with that with a spell and then, looking at Harry, who seemed to be paling at just looking into the cupboard decided this was getting a bit crowded.

“Why don’t you go stand by the front door Mister Potter and I’ll hand you this stuff.”

He pointed the boy to the door, handing him the backpack and then he looked inside. It wasn’t much, just the broom and the trunk. Severus cast a featherlight charm on the trunk and grabbed it and the broom in one hand.

His first instinct was to just leave, take the boy and go, but then he looked around one last time and found Petunia watching him from the sitting room, her lips pulled into a thin line, looking as prim and prompt as ever.

“Goodbye, Petunia. I hope we never have to see each other again.”

Without more, and without checking if the boy wanted to say goodbye – in his opinion, children that young shouldn’t be made to spend more time around their abusers than absolutely necessary – he took the backpack from the boy again, walked them out the door, and at first opportunity, grabbed Harry’s hand, whispered, “Hold tight,” and Apparated away.


	4. Cloaked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they're off.

Harry threw up as soon as they landed. This did not surprise Severus, guessing it was the boy’s first experience of Apparating and just vanished it without a word and before letting his hand go, made sure he could stand. As he released him, he tugged a bit, so the boy would know to follow and walked toward his house.

Harry followed, although Severus realised after a bit that he should slow down a bit, as the boy had to run to keep up. After that, he kept glancing down, to see if there was anything wrong and smirked a bit as he saw the confused look on Harry’s face.

Not only were they in a rundown, poor and very _Muggle_ area, the site they were walking towards seemed extremely inhabitable and disgusting. It was in fact the result of a decade of cloaking by Severus. He had no interest in being found by people he did not give floo access, so he had long since decided to ward and cloak his house to be almost unfindable.

He stopped them just a few feet away from the house. In order for the wards not to be set off by Harry, he had to do a bit of complex magic. He put down the luggage, pointed Harry to put down the owl, - yes, Merlin, he needed to release that owl as soon as they got inside – and crouched down to eyelevel with the boy. It shocked him, clearly, like he’d never had an adult get down on his level, or maybe it was just the fact that it was Severus.

“My home, now yours as well, is heavily cloaked by magic, hidden and protected. To be able to with me, I’ll have to cast a few spells on you, and you’ll have to give me some of your hair for a potion I’ll pour on the boundary, okay? None of it will _do_ anything to you, it’s more to mark that you belong here, than anything else.”

Severus tried to keep his usual acid tone away, in favour of a more neutral one. He felt he still droned a bit, like an old Professor and shook his head at the idea. How did it happen that he turned _old_? He was shocked to see the small smile on Harry’s face at the end of his explanation. Well, he had plenty of time to figure that out, or even see if he wanted to know more. First thing was getting the boy safely inside.

Harry nodded and Severus smoothly moved the wand into his hand, and cast a series of wordless spells at Harry, being systematic about it, as to not forget any. When he lowered the wand and fished out a potions bottle, Harry moved his hand to his hair, as he meant to pull it out by the root.

Severus stilled his hand before the boy could so crudely remove his hair. “No Mister Potter, I can do that.” He said and frowned as the boy closed his eyes and tensed. Surely, he didn’t think Severus _wanted to_ pull it off him either?

Severus really wasn’t prepared for all this implied, so he kept to the job and with a quick flick of his wand cut a piece of Harry’s hair off and levitated it into the bottle. He murmured “thank you” to Harry and then picked up the bags again and led them forward. He stopped again a few steps later and poured the potion carefully in a straight line in front of him and saw it disappear into the grass quickly.

He heard Harry gasp beside him as they stepped over the invisible boundary and finally got a look at the house. It wasn’t much, as it had belonged to his parents, piss-poor as they’d been, but it was probably still new to the kid to see houses appear where nothing had been before.

Severus didn’t go any further, but stopped to point his wand to the owl’s cage. The lock splattered off it, more dramatically than needed, but Severus was in the mood for some dramatic gestures. If he couldn’t get to torture the walrus that pretended to be the head of that awful household they’d just left, then he could take it out on the man’s padlock.

Harry gasped, but quickly let his owl out, and whispered to the it, “Just come back to here when you’ve hunted and stretched out your wings.”

Without further ado, Severus opened the front door and led them inside. He left the cage by the coat rack, wanting to take it into storage later. “When you’ve unpacked your trunk, tell me, and I can put it away.” Severus mentioned, before walking off with the rest of Harry’s stuff.

“Here is the kitchen, just poke around to see what’s there and let me know if I should get something that’s not there. That’ll come with time, I guess. Here is the sitting room, I ask you don’t go reading the books and articles on that left bookshelf, they’re more for _after_ Hogwarts reading. Down this door, is the basement, where I brew. I suppose we’ll have to come up with a system of when you can come down there and when not. Some of the things I brew do not respond well to distractions.”

Severus kept walking, going up the sad looking stairs and past his own bedroom, past the bathroom, only stopping to point them out, and then walked the luggage into the empty room he’d cleaned out for Harry. He saw the boy take stock of the room and said, “I moved some more appropriate books in here, but if there is any subject, educational or otherwise that you’d like a book on, I’m sure we can find it. This house might not have a lot, but I’m afraid it does store quite a collection of books. The same goes for parchment and ink, just ask and I’ll bring some more up,” pointing to the desk, where some ink and parchment already lay out.

“Which reminds me, feel free to send out your owl with letters, I mean, that’s what its for,” Severus said, mindful of what the boy would assume about rules. He remembered entering Hogwarts and staying mostly silent out of class for a month before he realised no one was going to beat him quiet. That was, until Potter and his gang started doing exactly that.

“Thank you, Professor.” Harry murmured and Severus looked him up and down before deciding to give the boy some space before having a much needed conversation about the whole thing.

“Yes, yes, now, why don’t you unpack and settle in and then you can come down for supper around 6 and we can talk a bit about how this is going to work?” Severus said, and barely waited for a nod before getting out. Merlin, he was awkward and stiff. He hadn’t really had normal conversations much lately, and it wasn’t as if it was _normal_ for him and Harry to just stand and chat.

Severus went down the stairs and to the kitchen, starting the calming process of cooking, preferring, just as with his brewing, to keep his wand mostly out of the kitchen.


	5. Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally in private, the two can take stock of the situation.

Harry was shocked. Standing in what was apparently his new bedroom, he could not wrap his head around this day. He was free. Actually free. Hedwig was free and it seemed that Snape hated locking her up just as Harry did.

Harry moved around the room, taking stock. He could see lots of different books in the bookshelves a Muggle books he heard about in elementary school, a few titles he’s seen around the Hogwarts library and titles he’s never seen before. He thought about never being able to read at the Dursley’s and how he never had time at Hogwarts. Here though, here he could read up on pretty much anything. It was thrilling to think he might actually read enough not to be clueless the whole year, maybe even read up on House Elves, so he could better handle Dobby.

After a while of just looking around the room, Harry finally started unpacking his trunk. It felt strange, as he’d never really done it before, having had no stuff and no place to put it at the Dursley’s. Even at Hogwarts he’d mostly kept things in his trunk and nightstand.

He stacked his schoolbooks on the one empty shelf on the bookshelves, hung his clothes in the wardrobe. He saw an owl stand by the window and felt a trickle of warmth spread through him at the thought of Hedwig having such a nice spot to stay in his room, instead of being locked up in the cage. He’d been a bit confused when Snape left the cage downstairs, but now he was just happy they wouldn’t have to see it for the rest of the Holiday.

It didn’t take long to unpack, but his trunk looked strangely barren and weird when he’d finished. He left his invisibility cloak, the photo album from Hagrid and his wand in the backpack, wanting some things just within reach if things turned to worse.

When finished with everything, he’d sat down on the bed and let out a small moan at the feel. The bed was even more comfortable than the one at his dorm in Hogwarts. He laid down, relaxing into the mattress and tucking the blanket over himself, just ever so slightly, suddenly feeling very tired. He just had to close his eyes for a second.

Severus waited a little after the stew was ready, before resigning himself to having to go up and get the boy. That way, he could check how unpacking was going, at least.

He walked up and frowned as he heard no sound from the open room. In his ten year experience at Hogwarts, he hadn’t found 11 year olds to be very quiet if left alone. He could barely get them to quiet down in his classes. He entered the room slowly, as to not startle the boy, but apparently he needn’t have worried as the boy was fast asleep.

Severus had a moment of wonder looking around, there weren’t a lot of things added to the room. Harry clearly didn’t own all that much. Then, for a few seconds more, he took the opportunity to really look at the boy, which to be honest – which he preferred to be with himself – he’d avoided really looking at the all through the school year, there were a few things he could see.

Somehow he looked smaller than the normal 11 year old should be, and even more starkly, smaller than he’d been at the end of the school year. Although Severus supposed he really should get him better fitting clothes before saying much on that. He looked pale and worn out and a part of Severus just wanted to let him sleep, but eventually decided he could probably do with some food.

That’s where Severus ran into a figurative wall. He had _never_ had to wake someone up in person. It took him a while to psych himself up to do it, reaching over to lightly touch Harry’s shoulder.

He had not been prepared for the response. The boy, who had had the sense to pull the blanket over himself a little, then rushed up, with rigid sharp movements. He got a bit tangled in the blanket and Severus banished it to the floor without much thought to help him. He doesn’t have a quick spell to calm the shaking boy though.

“I’m up, I’m sorry, I’ll do it, I’m coming,” Harry babbled, as if excusing his little nap and Severus’s brows disappeared up into his forehead. This was a strong reaction to have being woken up, but then he thought back to that thundering walrus at Privat Drive and scowled. It was just as he’d done so that Harry looked up at him and he could see the boy pale at the sight of him, but also visibly force himself to calm. Clenching his fists and breathing out and Severus was honestly shocked to see a child self-manage his panic quite so eloquently.

He made sure to stop scowling, not really wanting to add to the boy’s angst, before walking a bit away from the bed to give him space.

“I’ve made stew, I was just coming in to get you for supper. Come on down, why don’t you?” Severus said, before just descending down the stairs, not wanting to add to the awkward moment.

As Harry entered the kitchen, Severus could clearly see he was still nervous. Severus guessed he couldn’t blame him, he’d been nothing but strict and unfeeling the whole school year and now the boy had to sit down to supper with him only.

Harry sat down and at a gesture from Severus, he served himself a bit of stew, but Severus thought it was awful little. If he’d been in the mindset from the school year about the boy, then he’d maybe have thought the boy was just being picky, not wanting the food Severus made, but after meeting Harry’s … family, he thought this might be something else entirely.

“Harry, I have quite enough money to live comfortably, and I didn’t make this decision in haste. Feel free to eat as much as you want here, I won’t be taking food from you. Further, if you don’t like something, you need only say and we will try and find an alternative,” Severus said, keeping his eyes on the stew pot in front of them. He did glance up when Harry kept silent, and as their eyes met, Harry seemed to get what he needed and reached for some more stew.

“Thank you, Professor Snape.”

“I guess if you’re going to be living here, you can lose the ‘Professor’, at the very least, what do you say?”

Severus kept on eating his stew, enjoying the way his private spices tickled his taste buds, but after a moment of silence, Harry replied.

“If you don’t mind … Snape, I would prefer if you didn’t call me Mister Potter here either. Actually, I’d prefer you’d drop Potter entirely, and just call me Harry. There’s …” the boy stuttered through the whole thing, but Severus, having caught on to the problem, decided on being kind enough to stop this.

“I think I know exactly why, _Harry_ , I’ll try and make it a habit, although, as with my title, we’ll need to revert back when term starts up.”

And thus they went quietly back to their eating. Severus couldn’t help but smile as he saw Harry cautiously take another helping of the stew, but when it didn’t cause any violent shouting, it was also clear that he relaxed even further.

Severus really hoped he could continue this. As much as he had despised Potter as a boy, this boy was as much Lily’s as he was James’s and no child deserved to be starved, beaten and ignored as Harry seemed to have been. Severus didn’t even know specifics yet. He knew better than the average Joe just how much someone could screw you up before you even turned 10.

Who would’ve thought mean Professor Snape would be the one to turn Harry Potter’s life around.


	6. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where am I going with this? I don't even know. Just read and enjoy!

Hedwig wasn’t back when Harry retreated back to his room. Snape had quietly suggested he go back to bed, since he seemed to need the rest and while it felt strange to Harry to have all this … kindness directed at him from Snape, he felt tired enough to agree. It had been a whirlwind of a day and the bed _had_ felt uniquely comfortable earlier.

Grabbing one of the slimmer Muggle books off the bookshelf, he retreated under the duvet, pulling the blanket close too, and, with the conveniently placed night lamp, started reading. _Where the Wild Things Are_ told him of a little boy and monsters and the pages seemed to fly away, as he eagerly read, until suddenly, his eyelids got heavy and he fell asleep.

Severus himself didn’t have the luxury of being an exhausted 11 year old. Instead, he was a grumpy man, now panicking as he thought of all that he had not considered. Would he need to let Dumbledore know where the boy was? That he’d taken him in? When Harry inevitably wrote to his friends, what did Severus want him to say about the whole thing. It wouldn’t do good to draw too much attention to it, as more people knew Severus and his habits than knew of the Dursley’s.

He grabbed a book off the table next to him, curling up in his chair to read. Even though different, the two in the house were clearly more alike than they knew. Both fell asleep with their books still resting close.

Harry awoke to the sun shining in through his window. He liked it. There were no bars on this window, and for most of his years at the Dursley’s he’d been locked in a cupboard with no light at all. He checked the clock on the wall to see it was 7 in the morning, but he was happy to be up. Hedwig was back and Harry went over to pet her. She nibbled him, clearly asking for some treats and surprisingly, his first thought was to ask Snape for some.

He’d been pretty astonished at the man yesterday. He’d seemed outraged at Harry’s behalf, like he couldn’t envision how people could lock up children and animals, and he’d made sure Harry ate and slept proper. Again, Harry had to remind himself that most of what he’d thought about Snape last year hadn’t turned out to be true. Sure, he wasn’t the nicest Professor, but really, McGonagall was no picnic either, but she favoured the Gryffindors, at the very least the Quidditch team, so it was different. Thinking on it now, not in the thick of things, Harry felt it was sort of logical that Snape favoured the Slytherins, as badly as people talked about them.

He started a letter to Ron, wanting to use the opportunity to finally let his friends know he was okay. He could admit it was also because he really wanted to see if he got their letters back now that Dobby had revealed his scheme.

_Ron_

_The reason I haven’t been replying to your letters is because my owl has been locked up for the Holiday by the Dursley’s. I’m out of there now (haven’t figured out if I’m allowed to say where, yet, but I’m safe) and Hedwig is free. Even more unbelievably, a House Elf has been stealing my incoming post all summer, so I haven’t gotten any of your or Hermione’s letters. Otherwise, my summer has been pretty boring, as always with the Dursley’s. But! There is hope for change now, which I’m very excited to share with you when I know more. I just couldn’t wait to let you know I was out, safe and free to communicate now!_

_I’ll be sending the same to Hermione!_

_Hope your summer has been fun (you’ll have to tell me all of it again, because of the lost post)._

_Harry_

He quickly copied the text over to a similar missive to Hermione and sent Hedwig off with both, instructing her to wait on their replies. “And don’t let no House Elf stop you from delivering my post, now okay?”

That done, his stomach growled, but he wasn’t sure what the policy was here. Snape had told him to poke around the kitchen, but Harry didn’t know if that meant he could cook, or _eat_ any of the food without prompting. Instead, he decided on grabbing his Transfiguration book and starting on his Holiday homework. He hadn’t had any chance with his school things locked in the cupboard, but now that he had free access, he planned to prepare, hoping to do better in the start of his second year than his first.

Severus woke up with a crooked neck, his muscles throbbing, as he’d slept in the armchair in the sitting room instead of his bed. He accioed a bottle of muscle relaxant, knowing the pain would just build up during the day if he left it.

He staggered into the kitchen charming the kettle to boil, pouring into a tea pot for it to steep. He would not even be able to write his name properly before a cup of tea. He sat at the table, calling for this days paper by another flick of his wand and reading it while waiting for the tea. He was on the last page when his cup drained and as he stood to pour himself some more – knowing moving would help him wake up more now – he froze as he remembered yesterday and the fact that he now had another person sharing his home. A person that was not down for breakfast yet.

He supposed the boy could be sleeping, but he also remembered clearly how the boy had not thought food was a sure thing and needed to be told he was welcome to it. With that thought in mind, he walked up the stairs, barely stopping in the bathroom to make sure the chair hadn’t left his hair ridiculous, and then knocked on the second bedroom.

“Po- _Harry_? Are you up?” He asked, his voice even. He waited a breath and had almost left to go back for his second cup of tea when he heard rustling on the other side of the door.

“Pro- Snape? Yes, I’m up, I was just finishing writing the essay for Transfiguration.” Harry said as he opened the door, panting slightly. Severus guessed it was because he’d hurried to come to the door when he’d noticed him. He guessed the _Dursley’s_ hadn’t been very happy with repeating themselves.

“Good, good, catching up on schoolwork. Now, why don’t you come down for breakfast. If you’ve finished your Transfiguration homework you must have been up for a while. In the future, feel free to just help yourself. I must admit, I’m not known to be best in the morning.” Severus said, ending it a bit sheepishly, having wanted to explain not being reliable in the mornings, but it felt like sharing a bit too much.

When they sat down for breakfast, Severus nursing his second cup of tea, not ready for food just yet, but charming the containers for bread and butter and such open so Harry could see where they were and gestured for him to help himself.

Another hour passed in companionable silence, Severus handing Harry the paper after watching the boy look longingly at it and then a cup of tea as well.

“No, I apologise for being blunt, but I think neither of us actually have the patient to beat around the bush here. What you have suffered in that _home_ , is not acceptable chid rearing by any standard, and I hope with time you recover from it,” Severus began, having had these thoughts ruminating since seeing the bars on the window the day before. He’d actually seldom been as upset at any stranger as he’d been at that moment. He certainly had never recovered properly from his own father’s treatment, but at the very least, Lily’s friendship and logical, stubborn words of assurance that things were not meant to be that way had helped.

“There are a few material things that are easy enough to fix, for example, getting you out of there, feeding you and my plan for today, taking you to get some fitting clothes. I swear Harry, any time I saw you during weekends last year I thought I was passing a clot. How anyone thought you could go out in public in these oversized clothes from your cousin, I cannot understand.” Severus finished, his tone turning indignant and frustrated.

He almost smiled when he heard Harry giggle at his exclamations. Good he could entertain the boy a little, if it kept away the sting of embarrassment Severus knew always lingered when one was forced to wear such disastrous clothing. 

And so, Severus Snape and Harry Potter ventured out, to go shopping.


	7. Adults take care of problems, children have fun?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus tries to get Harry to realise that he doesn't have to solve everything at 11.

Harry was in the process of hanging up and putting away his new clothes not wanting to have loads of shopping bags all around his room, - and throwing away the horrible oversized ones from Dudley – when Errol crashed into his room with a thud. His brow furrowed, why had Ron sent the reply with Errol, and not Hedwig, until he realised it was too soon for him to be getting a reply. He guessed he was finally getting his post as normal.

_Harry!_

_Dumbledore sent over an owl this morning, asking if you were here. Dad sent back that we hadn’t heard from you all summer and then Dumbledore came to visit. He and Dad went over to your family’s house and apparently your Aunt just said you weren’t their problem any longer and closed the door in their faces. Dumbledore even scanned the house with some sort of spell and couldn’t find you. Where have you gone mate, are you okay?_

_Ron_

_P.S. I’m not letting Hermione know, so you have a bit of breathing room to answer before she goes on a hunt._

Despite the gravity of the whole situation, Harry couldn’t help but smile at the postscript. Hermione really would break every and all rules and laws to find him if he went missing. None of them at Hogwarts had seemed to get that he wasn’t safe, or okay at the Dursley’s, just assumed that since they were _family_ , it was okay, but if they had unmistakable proof of Harry being gone, they might all finally do something.

However funny, Snape needed to know about this. They couldn’t very well _hide_ from Dumbledore, and by the start of the school year, it might be a bit hard. Leaving the clothes he’d been packing up lying on the floor, Harry ran down the stairs.

He didn’t realise until he was down in the kitchen, that never in his life with the Dursley’s would he have dared to just _run_ down the stairs without checking where each family member was.

“Was there a reason for the running, or are you just trying out the stairs?” Snape drawled after Harry had stood frozen for probably close to five minutes. Harry snapped back to the present jarringly, hoping he hadn’t made Snape angry with the noise.

“I just got a letter from Ron. He hadn’t gotten mine, and well, apparently Dumbledore had some way of knowing if I was at the Dursley’s or not, because he’s noticed. He and Mr. Weasley went over there to see if there was a reason for this and found I wasn’t there. What are we going to do?” Harry blurted out; sure he’d never said so much at once to Snape.

Snape himself looked a bit taken aback, but Harry figured he had been hoping, like Harry, that it would take a bit longer before they had to come to a decision about what to tell people.

“Okay, first things first, I’m going to ready some tea and we’re going to go to the sitting room. It is quite nicer to tackle difficult problems when one is comfortable.”

Harry couldn’t help but agree. He’d found the last year that sitting in the big plush armchairs in the common room could slightly improve his mood even during the lowest of lows.

“Do you mind if I read the letter from Ron?” Snape asked him, his voice low and gentle, and Harry appreciated the lengths Snape went to, to make sure Harry didn’t take it as an order.

In place of an answer, Harry handed him the letter. The tea pot came floating into the sitting room to the small table between them and cups followed, as Snape read. Harry was really in awe of the effortlessness that shined through all of Snape’s spellwork.

He served both of them some tea and took a sip of his own, trying to keep from getting stuck in the rabbit holes of thoughts threatening to send him into panic. Would Dumbledore try and place him back with the Dursley’s? They wouldn’t like having him back, after thinking they were finally free. (Harry couldn’t help but add that he wouldn’t like it himself to be caged back there after getting free.)

“No matter _what_ , Harry, you will not be going back. Even if I didn’t have _strong_ personal opinions about children staying with their abusers – no, don’t argue. You don’t have to use those words yet, but I’m allowed to. You keep saying the Dark Lords name around me, think of this as payback – Lily would quite literally haunt all my dreams, asleep and awake if I let someone take you back to that.” Snape said, and Harry’s heart contracted painfully at the strong, firm tone his voice took on when he called it that. Snape really didn’t want him back there. And if Harry had learned anything _true_ about Snape in the last year, it was that he fought to do things his way.

Realising that between the two of them, they wouldn’t just give and fold, Harry calmed.

“Now that you’ve stopped worrying over silly things, we can move on to more realistic concerns. Even if Dumbledore might not think I am the one who “took” you, he will eventually contact me to help find you. First thing, I know we didn’t really get into it at that vile house, but _do you_ want to keep living with me indefinitely? I mean, of course, you’re at Hogwarts for most of the year, but you know what I mean. I figure there are plenty of people willing to take you in, although we’d have to go over warding and such, but I want it to be clear, you don’t _have_ to stay here with me.”

Harry frowned at that and put his teacup down. A choice? That was new. His heart sped up and he wasn’t sure he liked this at all. His thoughts immediately went to stuff like _He’s saying this because he’s regretting saving you, doesn’t want to have to put up with you for the next 6 years._ And he got dragged pretty low, before sneaking a look over at Snape, who was … awkwardly picking at his sleeves. He seemed to be trying to act nonplussed, but maybe, just maybe, Snape was just as unsure about all of this as Harry.

“I just want to be out of there and somewhere where I’m welcome but not in the way. I know Ron has told me I could come spend the summer with him and all, but I think I’d always feel a bit in the way. He seems to have _a lot_ of siblings.” Harry said, trying to think out loud since thinking quietly seemed to just lead to panicking.

Snape popped a crooked smirk at that. “Yes, Molly and Arthur did seem to be building their own army during the war.”

Harry was glad his teacup was down on the table, because he’d for sure have spurted it all over Snape if he’d been drinking it. Instead, all he did was laugh, hard and long, the tension of the whole thing leaking out with it.

“I know a little about that. If there is nowhere, as of now, that you’d like to stay rather, I think we’d be best off trying to get me legal guardianship off you. If nothing changes, you are welcome here until you are old enough to be on your own. Just promise me that you’ll feel free coming to me if you ever wish to be somewhere else. It might be complicated, but we will figure it out.”

Harry was happy that that seemed to conclude the talking. Snape had looked at him sitting there expectant and said, “We’ve finished discussing what you want, so now I go make it happen. I know this is strange to you Harry, but this is what is supposed to happen. Your opinion matters in where you want to live, but the adults should actually handle the problem. Why don’t you go up to your room and read one of those books I put up there, you know, the ones for fun, and not study?”

Harry had sort of gaped at him, unsure if he wanted to fight this, ending up deciding this was actually a good thing. He didn’t have to take care of everything himself.

He’d turned to walk upstairs, intending to do just as Snape had suggested, when Snape added, and Harry could _swear_ he could _hear_ the smile in his voice, “And Harry, go change into some of your new clothes. I’m sure they’ll feel better.

After getting upstairs, changing, finishing putting away his new clothes, Harry took the trash bag of old clothes, dumped it into the hallway outside his room and couldn’t help but feel like he’d achieved something. Grabbing an interesting looking book off the shelf, he read, _The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe_ and couldn’t help but smile; he knew a little bit about each of those things. 

Curling up, sitting on his bed, with the nice navy throw blanket that lay over the duvet thrown around him, he opened the book and read “Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.” And thought, this is what normal children experience every day. Parents to handle their problems and the hardest thing they have to do is entertain themselves. It felt pretty nice.


	8. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And Severus solves things. With ... interesting interloops

Severus was panicking. He’d tried to keep calm with Harry downstairs with him, but as soon as the things he needed Harry’s input on were discussed, he dismissed the boy, happy he could do so without offending the independent and suspicious boy, and promptly started panicking.

It hadn’t been a spur of the moment decision, no, but he _had_ avoided thinking of the consequences. Now that he’d gotten Harry out of there, and seen a glimpse of how he’d had it at that house, he was glad he hadn’t waited longer, but it meant this could get complicated.

His best case was probably convincing someone at the Ministry that Lily would’ve wanted this. Hopefully they wouldn’t care about his trial. That did mean he’d have to go in there, and he wasn’t exactly comfortable leaving an eleven-year-old alone in his house either.

How exactly did people raise children and have lives? This seemed a bit too complicated to Severus at the moment. He thought back on the mention of Molly Weasley and a strangled choked back laughter burst out of him. Fortunately, he thought, he only had one.

Had one.

That made it way too real. Severus was afraid he’d sat there, frozen at this realisation for almost 30 minutes.

After taking some time, and drinking another cup of tea, he realised it wasn’t as hard as he was making it out to be. He was a wizard; there were ways of walking into the Ministry with Harry Potter without causing a whole scene. Plus, he knew a person or two within the Ministry. He could Floo someone, figure out where he should go and book an appointment.

Standing up and brushing non-existing dirt off his shirt, he went up to his room to grab a robe, wanting to be presentable, and decided Amelia Bones was his best bet. She’d even gone to school with him and Lily. Been the year above, but she and Lily had been Prefects together and had gotten along nicely. Lily had even told him they’d often sat and studied together in quiet in the library years before getting Prefect badges.

He took a deep breath before gathering Floo powder in his hand. “Amelia Bones, Ministry of Magic” he called, and popped his head into the fire.

“Good afternoon, Sir or Madam, if you would just hang on for a second while I get the Head of Magical Law and Enforcement Department for you. Who can I say is calling and to what end?” a rehearsed tinny voice said.

“Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts, for an important, but private matter.”

He got a nod, before the witch disappeared, and then suddenly, his head moved from that fireplace to another. It was quite jarring, as most Floos didn’t have this quality, but Severus guessed it didn’t do to have people Floo-calling straight into one’s office.

“Severus, to what do I owe this surprise?” Amelia said, her voice communicating loudly how bizarre it was for him to contact her. She’d been there, as a young Auror for his trial and had spoken a few sentences in his defence, but still, it was strange for him to contact her. 

I have an abuse and custody matter to sort through, and I would apricate all and any help you could give me. Even just getting me a meeting with someone. Because of the subject matter as well as the child involved, I would like to do this as privately as can be.” Severus said, trying to go for grave without the usual bite that follows his words.

Amelia stilled and Severus thanked whatever had told him to go to Amelia. After all the violence she’d seen, not least her nieces and nephews dying in the First War, Amelia was really sensitive to children matters. That wasn’t to be taken to mean she broke down and couldn’t handle it, no, the exact opposite. Severus never did see her as angry as when she had to deal with matters around children. She’d been in contact with Severus a few times over changed living situations with his Snakes. This would probably not be as difficult as he and Harry had made it out to be.

“I want to take over guardianship of a child, a boy, who turns twelve this summer. I took him from his residence at the request of his current guardian, who wants nothing do to with him from now on. The boy has clearly been underfed while there, him and his owl were locked away and he was not spoken to much at all.”

Severus hadn’t gotten farther into his explanation when Amelia bumped in and said, “I mean, that seems clear-cut to me. Even my newest employee at the Department could write that up. Why all the fuss?”

“Because he’s Lily’s boy, Amelia. He’s Harry Potter.”

Severus came out of the Floo-call a lot calmer than before. He started prepping supper, but not before sending a biscuit and milk floating up to Harry’s room.

When the food was ready, Severus thought about calling Harry down, but wasn’t sure how that would go over. He had a feeling yelling, even just to announce supper wasn’t going to go well with Harry.

He walked up the stairs and couldn’t help but smile when he saw Harry sitting curled up with the blanket and a book on the bed.

Talking about Lily to Amelia earlier, and having Harry’s emerald green eyes staring at him for the past few days was making him nostalgic for the past. Severus guessed he could just be happy it was brining up the good from the past and not the bad. With that thought, he walked over to the desk chair and brought it slightly closer to the bed before sitting down, facing Harry.

“You know, Harry,” Severus said, happy to see that Harry looked up from his book, but one could still see the blatant want in his face for just keeping on reading. There was clearly more of Lily in this boy than he’d let himself see all past year. “that throw blanket you have there, your Mom made it. We were thirteen and she was trying to get the other witches in her year to teach her how to knit with magic. That’s why one end of it is a bit … different, because she hadn’t managed to get a hang of it yet.”

Severus could feel his heart constrict at the memory, Lily being so frustrated, but determined. He thought with a laugh that maybe that‘s what Harry had looked like some of the trying times the last year. He had really been blind to anything but James Potter in the boy.

He was glad that changed, because he couldn‘t dare imagine going through 7 years hating and despising Lily‘s son. Sitting and watching Harry light up and curl into the blanket, close his eyes in wonder at the mention and connection with his mother, Severus vowed to Lily he would do whatever he could, not only to protect the boy as he‘d thought he was doing last year, but make his life as easy as it could be.

“I’ve made supper Harry. Let’s go eat.” He finally said, watching the boy get up, grabbing his plate and glass from the earlier floating delivery and walking after him down the stairs.

After they finished eating, Severus only prompting Harry to eat as much as he wanted once, Severus cleared his throat.

“I Floo called a friend at the Ministry today, and she’s agreed for us to come in tomorrow to sign some papers to get me guardianship. When I discussed it with her, she pointed out that Petunia’s letter would probably be good enough to get me legal grounds. She’ll vouch for me, so the only thing is that you need to talk to her for a few minutes.” Severus explained.

He hadn’t expected Harry to freak out at that, but he automatically Accio’d some chocolate from his pantry as he saw him pale down quickly.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” He asked, concern bleeding through his voice in a way he hadn’t heard since Lily was alive.

“I hh-ave to _talk_ to her?” Harry gasped out, and Severus cursed himself. Of course. Adults, telling someone about his … history, none of those things were easy in Harry’s situation. Severus for one hadn’t let out a peep when his Head of House had tried to address the comments from his classmates telling of how bruised he came back to school every year.

“Harry, please, don’t let this go to your head. It’s not like she’s going to ask you about bezoars.” Severus said, hoping the call-back to memory would snap the boy out of his panic. “Here, eat this and take a breath and listen to me, before you panic again.”

Severus ran a hand over his face, frustrated with himself for not having thought of this.

“Amelia only wants to make sure you want to stay with me. It’s protocol to ask children their opinion when changing guardianship, especially children with pasts like yours. She won’t make you discuss anything you don’t want to, and even though I’m not allowed to be in there while you talk, I want you to remember you are allowed at every step of the way to say you don’t want to answer. You can ask her to be done, to be excused, and we go home. I promise.”

Severus had hoped this would help, but instead of the boy filling up with colour again, he just gasped in another aborted breath and Severus swore quietly, and then again inside his head when the boy flinched at the hissed word.

He was completely lost to what he should do. A student he would remind to be polite and proper, and hope they got comfort from their dorm mates, but Harry was his responsibility. If Severus wanted him comforted, he had to do the comforting himself.

Thinking quickly, he flicked his wand and the blanket flew into his outstretched hand. He gathered it up and then spread it over and around Harry, enveloping him in it completely before kneeling before him. He wasn’t used to kneeling in front of someone, in fact, he’d only done it for the Dark Lord, and once for Dumbledore begging for Lily’s life. This felt a bit more like that time. He didn’t care how he looked, what was implied, all he cared about was sparing someone pain. Someone he cared about.

“Harry, nothing I will set you up to do, will ever be designed to hurt you. All she’ll be doing is making sure you don’t move from one bad environment to another.”

Eventually, gnawing on chocolate, bundled in the blanket and Severus stroking his side awkwardly, Harry seemed to calm down.

“I really don’t have to tell her about the Dursley’s at all?” Harry asked and his voice was so tiny and wavering that Severus almost cancelled the whole plan.

“Nothing. I know adults haven’t really treated you like a child until now, but normally, children aren’t expected to take care of themselves. They aren’t made to do things they don’t want to do, except of course, making lazy boys do their homework like your friend Mr. Weasley there, but that’s different. Do you see how that’s different?”

Harry looked at him and for the first time in the days he’d stayed with him, Severus realised how young he was. “I think so, Snape. Just, you’ll be right there?”

A part of Severus was annoyed at this back and forth, but he could tolerate it if he could make the boy feel more secure.

“We will go in together, and Amelia will meet us down in the reception, so we don’t have to let anyone else know you’re there. Then we will all go up to her office, where she and I will talk, and then I’ll step outside for a minute while she talks to you. I _promise_ , I’ll be right on the other side of the door.” Severus almost chocked on the words, as genuine as they were. He hadn’t _promised_ anyone anything since he promised himself to save Lily. He’d broken that promise.

Hopefully, this was his do-over.

Severus suggested to the boy after he’d agreed, that they go sit in the sitting room. He didn’t particularly think it was good for Harry to be alone with his thoughts right then so he guided him with a gentle hand on his back, happy when the boy just calmly followed along, showing no signs of flinching. He knew it didn’t mean it was over, but if he could put Harry at ease, then there was some hope for them yet. He hadn’t trusted Lily with all his secrets and moods and troubles at the start, but in the end, she’d shaped him into the man he was today.

He believed they’d get pretty bored just sitting there, so he Accoi’d Harry’s book down. Harry looked at him smiling and reached out. Severus didn’t hand it to him, but whispered quietly, “how about I read it out loud. It’s been a while since I read this one. Where did you stop?”

Harry stared at him, frozen, for almost 30 seconds, making Severus’s ear tips blush, afraid he’d offended the boy, before Harry blushed crimson too, pulled the blankets up closer around him until all Severus saw were his eyes and then he nodded, whispering back, “there’s a bookmark,” and thus Severus began to read. Harry had been going at it, clearly, as already, all the Pevensie children were now in Narnia and Edmund is with the White Witch, having left his siblings. Severus continues where Harry left off, his smooth, drawling voice filling the sitting room and the air comfortable.

He stopped when Harry fell asleep on the couch, and with the help of a featherless charm, carried the boy to bed. A small charm he learned when doing his medi-wizard course of the Potions Mastery, took care of changing Harry into pyjamas. Tucking him in with the warm duvet and blanket on top, Severus smiled.

This could easily become normal to him. Maybe Harry wasn’t the only one to benefit here.


	9. New Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Severus get a bit closer to making a home.

Harry woke up warm and happy and then confused. He didn’t remember going to bed last night. That _never_ happened. He was in bed though, in pyjamas he never changed into, and tucked in with the blanket that … that his mother had made. He had never felt this safe and cared for, for as long as he could remember.

He got up and dressed and went through his morning routine without much more thought. He decided to take Snape on his word and walked downstairs to get some breakfast. He half expected Snape to be down there already, but the kitchen was empty. Harry found some eggs and butter in the fridge and took it out to cook. He was fairly sure Snape wouldn’t object, and he’d make some for him as well, and really, what kind of man would tuck Harry in and change him into pyjamas all while Harry was fast asleep, and then beat him or yell at him for making breakfast.

For once in his life, Harry decided to trust.

Cooking the eggs felt so natural that Harry had almost forgotten they were for himself when he plated them. He looked up as he put the plates on the table and could hear Snape’s bedroom door open. Perfect timing. He sat down and started eating, too excited to eat his own eggs to wait.

“Having eggs this morning are we?” Snape drawled as he came down the stairs.

Harry was a bit taken aback by the tone, but then looked up at Snape and couldn’t help but snicker at the sight of a very tired looking Snape.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I’m not the freshest in the mornings in summer. Think I really use it to charge up for another year of teaching way too small children about Potions.”

Harry, in the good mood he was that morning, didn’t even think before responding, “But don’t you like Potions? Don’t you like teaching it?”

His eyes snapped from his eggs and up to Snape and just as quickly back when he realised what he’d said. Before he could burst open with an apology, Snape raised a hand half way up, as to stop him and then responded, tone just as drawling as before. Harry thought maybe it was to play up his ironic tendencies.

“I enjoy Potions, but teaching young dunderheads that care more about what their fellow classmates are doing than Potions, isn’t exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. To be very honest,” and here Severus frowned, like he was a bit surprised with himself. Harry definitely was; maybe they were both changing to adapt to this.

“it’s very stressful to teach while also trying to make sure no one puts in the wrong thing at the wrong time, or Merlin help us, stirs wrong, as it might blow up the whole classroom. I much prefer my own lab and experimenting on my own. That way I at least know the possibilities of what can happen. With Longbottom and Finnegan in my dungeon, I really have no way of knowing. Those two can set fire to anything it seems.”

Harry couldn’t help but let out a little laugh, silently agreeing to Snape’s assessment. He’d never thought about that side of it.

They finished their eggs in silence and then Snape started up a pot of tea, and Harry relaxed further. If this was his new routine, it was heaps better than the Dursleys.

After a lazy start to the morning, ambling through cups of tea and the paper, the both of them finally stood ready to go to the Ministry.

“I know that you weren’t keen on going, but I’ve known Amelia for many, many years, and even your mother was friends with her. She will make sure our trip there won’t go too bad.” Severus said, trying to reassure the boy. It was better they talked out eventual problems here at home than have freak outs in the Ministry.

“I trust you,” Harry replied, which made Severus sweat. No body had trusted him since Lily. And even then, Lily had stopped completely trusting him when he started getting involved with Slytherin politics. “I might not have good experiences with “telling” adults about my home life, but if this is what I have to do to never go back to the Dursley’s, I can do it.”

It was a long time since Severus had so clearly heard the tone of bravado that followed Gryffindor’s when they actually _decided_ to be courageous. When they thought through the consequences, the reality, and still went ahead and did it.

“Your mom would be proud of you, Harry,” Severus said, although even if threatened, he could not say what had caused him to do so. He could only think that it was the sort of thing he had needed to hear a few times in his life, but never had.

He saw Harry light up with a smile and decided this was the tone to set out. They would need all the happy they could get today. It was bound to be a bit trying.

“Now, when we get inside the Ministry, to avoid too much attention, I would like it if you would leave the speaking to me, until we get to Amelia, and keep close. Keep your eyes down as much as you can, so your scar won’t be noticed and we should be fine.

We have to Apparate, since I don’t have Floo-Access. I know it’s hard to get used to, but if you hold my hand tightly, and maybe try and just focus on a spot on my person, you could avoid seeing the whole world spin around you. It could help. Either way, I’ll be there to clean up anything with a quick flick of my wand when we get there.”

It felt strange to Severus to guide someone so carefully, but he remembered doing it with Lily, and her doing it with him. He even had similar memories from his Potions Mentor. It had been a while though, but he thought, after all he had put the boy through, this could be a way to give him a little something. Try and help him get to the level the Purebloods and even Halfbloods as himself were when they started Hogwarts.

With a nod from Harry, he Apparated them off to an alley next to the Ministry. The boy seemed to do better with Apparating this time, just looking a little pale. Severus handed him a small sugar candy he had in his pocket to liven him back up. Harry smiled and whispered a thank you.

They got into the Entrance Hall without much trouble, although Severus couldn’t help but smile at the wonder in the boys’ eyes at the way they got in. Leading him by their still interlocked hands, Severus walked them straight to the receptions desk and said in a tone that would make all of his students shiver, “Severus Snape, here to see Head of the MLE, Amelia Bones.”

They, with some sort of luck that Severus was not used to, got up to Amelia’s office without trouble. Harry was trembling a little, Severus could feel it through their interlocked hands.

“It’ll be alright Harry. And when this is over, we can go home, and enjoy the rest of the Summer Holiday.” Severus whispered to him as they entered the “Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department” corridor. At this, Harry gasped, but when Severus looked down at him to see what was wrong, he was smiling, a smile bigger than Severus had ever seen on him.

They were met with a tiny and welcoming woman, and as soon as she started greeting them, Severus knew that it was the woman who had received him on the Floo-Call.

“I’m Severus Snape, here with my ward, for a private meeting with Auror Bones.”

“Yes, yes, she’s expecting you, and made sure no one was in here right before you, just go on through.”

Severus breathed out, relieved. Amelia really did think of everything. They walked through the doors and Severus could feel Harry squeeze his hand, as in fear and Severus squeezed back gently and whispered, “I’m here,” and then looked up to greet Amelia.


	10. To get back home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so ... both come to a realisation

Harry was somewhere between cloud nine and scared as fuck. On one hand, Snape had said, “we can go home”, like it was just normal that Harry lived with him now. That Harry had a home. Not just a house he stayed at, not just a cupboard or a reluctant bare room, but a home.

On the other hand, to get back there, they had to go through with this meeting.

Harry didn’t have the best experiences with letting adults take care of things for him. When Aunt Petunia did, whether by dying clothes for him for school, or by cutting his hair, it always ended up horrible for Harry. When Dumbledore took care of things, Harry was left curious and confused and feeling like he’d only gotten half the story. Plus, hadn’t Hagrid said that Dumbledore had left him at the Dursley’s? The teachers at Hogwarts hadn’t adequately listened to them when they warned that someone was stealing the stone, - although that might be because they named the wrong suspect, but Harry was still pissed off about it all. He’d _tried_ to go to the adults.

In elementary school, he had once tried to ask a teacher not to give the Dursley’s his grades, and then he would do better, but the teacher had just smirked evilly at him and said, in a pompous tone, “If your caretakers expect better of you, that’s only good.” Harry had run off, angry, as the teacher had completely misunderstood him. The Dursley’s did _not_ want him to do better.

Now he was supposed to trust this strange woman to make sure he never went back to the Dursleys’? No, that wasn’t right, Harry corrected himself. He had to trust Snape to not let him go back. For some reason, that did instil some hope in Harry. Snape did as he promised.

They were sitting in the office, Snape by the desk, opposite the woman, who looked serious and important, but had smiled slightly at Harry when they’d been introduced. She’d then let Harry retreat to her couch, up against the wall behind Snape, and Snape had handed him his book, and encouraged him to get lost in reading.

Instead, Harry had gotten lost in thinking, but it had served its purpose to distract him. He hadn’t paid any attention to what transpired between the two adults.

Severus had told Amelia what he could about the situation, hoping he could spare Harry from some of the talking. Finally, Severus knew there was nothing more he could say, as Amelia smiled at him and looked over to Harry who was sitting behind him.

“Severus, you’ve told me quite enough to get this boy out of that house. He’s not going back there, I promise. But since the situation is as it is, and there is no good transfer of custody, I need to hear from him.”

Severus breathed out a sigh in relief. He and Harry could deal with trying to find him another home if Amelia ruled he was not appropriate, but at least he’d made sure the boy didn’t have to go back to those horrible Muggles.

“I know. I’m guessing I’m not allowed in here for that conversation. I just want to stress that he doesn’t really think adults are all that helpful, so he might be a bit vary of answering.”

Amelia just nodded, and her face told Severus that she was a bit exasperated at not being trusted to do her job. Severus couldn’t really help it. He never thought people were equipped to do things properly when it came to something he cared about. It showed most prominently through his teaching of Potions.

Severus turned to Harry and went over to kneel at the feet of the boy. Harry looked up at him as he came into view, but Severus could see that even though the book was there unopened, the boy had been off somewhere completely away while he talked to Amelia.

“Harry,” he prompted, “I’ve talked to Amelia, and she’s said already that you will not be going back to the Dursley’s. Now she wants to have a chat with you and I’ll be outside. I won’t hear any of what you say to Amelia, so be as truthful as you can. No one can get offended or upset, okay? If you need me though, you can just come outside, okay?”

As Harry nodded, clearly out of words, Severus got up and left the office. He could hear the tell-tale lack of sound suggesting a sound-cancelling charm around the office and sat down in the secretary’s couch to wait. They were over the largest threshold, this would be fine. Wouldn’t it?

When Harry came out the office with Amelia, Severus had almost calmed himself down enough. One look at Harry’s conflicted face left him out of breath again though.

He snapped a glare at Amelia, who just smiled back at him, thought thin-lipped.

Suddenly, he had a lap-full of boy, coiled tight, whispering “Can we go home now, please,” and Severus couldn’t help but squeeze the boy tight and look to Amelia with helpless eyes.

“I just need Severus to sign here that he’s taking you under his guardianship and you’ll be all set, Harry.” Amelia said, in the gentlest tone Severus had ever heard her speak in. Normally she was all business, like himself, and it was one of the things he really liked about her.

Right now though, with arms full of a quivering boy, who seemed to be overwrought with all that had happened that day, he was only happy for it.

Happy for magic, he made do with signing the contract in mid-air, still on the couch with one arm around the boy. He hadn’t expected to feel any change at this, having already decided to take the boy in, but he found that maybe he hadn’t actually let himself believe he would get away with it.

Sitting here with Harry taking comfort in him, he came to the realisation that this wasn’t just him doing the descent thing. He was really becoming a parent to a barely 12-year-old boy. If he wanted Harry’s life to change from staying with the Dursley’s, that meant he had to be there for comfort, be there for awkward talks about how the world worked and be there for ridiculous wants.

As he finished signing and carefully pulled the boy up enough to look into his shining green eyes, he thought that wasn’t going to be as hard as it sounded. He already wanted to do anything he could to help this boy. He recognised these feelings, although it had been over a decade without them. He rather preferred life with them.

“Come on, Harry. Let’s go home and make some hot chocolate. We’re done here.”


	11. Too good to be true

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a something. Dobby arrives

Somehow, Severus got them home without causing a scene.

Harry clung back to him tight after they got into the safety of Spinner’s End, but Severus made no comment, knowing just how unusual it was for the boy to seek comfort this way. He knew he had stopped doing it himself at a very young age.

Humbled that the boy trusted him enough by now to act this way, Severus made a vow with himself not to get annoyed by it. He only sat them down on the sitting room chair, waving his wand absently to start the hot chocolate. Harry didn’t realise what he was up to until two steaming mugs came floating in the air towards them.

“I said we’d get hot chocolate, didn’t I?” Severus said at the shocked look on the boy’s face.

Harry only mumbled something Severus didn’t catch and then took his mug and sipped it.

For once, Severus was content to waste the day away, not doing anything, just enjoying the gradually more relaxed Harry.

It wasn’t until late, when Severus had already started the pots on supper, that Harry spoke up.

“I’m sorry about today. I have never acted this way.”

Severus shook his head before Harry even finished.

“Harry, this is your home now, and I am now invested and ensured to be here for your protection and comfort. You haven’t had a guardian like that since your parents were still …” Severus could suddenly not go farther, so he swallowed roughly, wanting to just run away, but then moving forward, choosing to dismiss his earlier thought, “We might not be used to it, either of us, but this is how a home is supposed to be like. How a … family should act.”

Apparently, that was too much for both of them. They descended into silence, this one more awkward than the one that had followed them since leaving Amelia’s office.

Severus was glad he got the words out, but he believed maybe they would need to shelf this for later.

“In light of our new legality, you can now answer the worried Mr. Weasley owl. I will write up a missive to Albus as well. It is completely up to you how much of the truth you include in your letter to Mr. Weasley. You can tell him to consult Albus if he is worried. Just, can you come down and eat after you’re finished? Supper should be ready in about half an hour.”

Harry seemed excited to send yet another letter and moved off Severus and walked up to his room, pace fast and eager.

Severus was shocked how cold and empty he felt as he no longer had Harry clinging to him. It was silly, but it couldn’t be helped.

Shaking it off, he went to compose the letter to Albus, and put the finishing touches of supper.

Harry crawled into his _own_ bed that night, his stomach pleasantly full. He curled up with the book about the wardrobe, the throw blanket that his mother had made and in his own pyjamas and thought, this is too good to be true.

Severus woke up to screaming.

He had is robe around himself, wand in hand before he could even register where a scream could be coming from.

_Harry_.

“Severus! Please, help me, SEVERUS!” He could hear and blood throbbed in his ears as he got even more determined to

He rushed over to Harry’s room, begging and praying in his head all the while. He did not expect to see Lucius Malfoy’s House-Elf standing there dragging Harry out of bed.

He knew better than try magic on a House-Elf, but instead flung himself at the pair, knowing the creature could Apparate them out of the house in a blink.

As soon as he got a hand on Harry he looked to the House-Elf, who if surprised and terrified was still holding onto Harry’s other arm.

“How did Lucius come to know where Harry had moved?!” Severus bellowed, mentally admonishing himself as Harry flinched as well as the Elf.

“Master doesn’t know what Dobby is doing. Dobby is saving Mr.Potter from you Sir.”

Severus couldn’t help but grin a bit at that. _Save_ Harry?

“And where to are you going to take him to be saved? The Malfoy Manor?”

“No, Sirs, Masters don’t like him. I was going to take him back to his home, they’ll make sure Harry Potter Sir doesn’t go back to Hogwarts.”

Severus frowned now, looking at where the Elf still had his bony fingers around Harry’s arm, although he was shaking. Worse though, Harry was shaking, and not all of it was with fear.

“Dobby! I am not telling you again! I will not go back to them! I don’t care what’s going to happen at Hogwarts, I could be destined to die and I’d still go back to school!”

Both Severus and Dobby flinched at this, Severus because he hadn’t seen the boy this angry and fierce _ever_ , even during some of their more … intense talks at school last year. Dobby finally dropped Harry’s arm and Severus moved to embrace Harry, pulling them to the bed, hoping a less agitated standing would calm all of them down. He really didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed that Harry knew the Elf, strange as it may be.

“Dobby is only trying to help, Sir, Mister Potter has to know, strange and awful things will happen at Hogwarts.”

Harry shook in Severus’s arms and Severus unconsciously stroked a hand up and down his arm and back, trying to comfort.

“You haven’t _helped._ _”_ Harry bit out, and shuddered. “Because of you, I’ve been locked up, caged in my room, given less food and been …” here he stopped and Severus found himself almost going back to the Dursley’s to beat some sense in them. Even though he hated some of the dunderhead children he taught, he did take their security and health seriously, he just didn’t show much sign of it.

“Dobby is only trying to…”

Severus cut in. “I am not what your Master thinks I am, Dobby, and I have taken Harry out of his so-called home to take care of him. If you want to protect him, you can try and tell us what is supposed to happen and I’ll be more on-guard, but I would think I’m more capable of protecting him than you. And you _won_ _’t_ be taking him back to those Muggles.”

“But Dobby!”

“No Dobby! Severus is right! I appreciate the attempt, but you won’t save me from death or despair by making me go back to the Dursley’s.”

At that, Severus looked at the boy in awe. This _admission_ coming from the boy who had wanted to deny Severus calling it abuse. Maybe he could turn things around for the kid.

“Can you tell us what is going to happen Dobby?” Severus asked when he managed to pick his jaw up from the floor.

The Elf just shivered and reached out to slam his head against the foot of the bed. Harry squawked and yelled out “no Dobby, stop it!” his tone full of empathy and Severus was stunned again. How had he ever thought this boy was his father. Potter would never have cared about a House-Elf, especially one that was annoying him to begin with.

“I get it. Please Dobby, I ask you to stop trying to save Harry and leave it to me. If you ever feel like giving us a warning, you can give one to me, or to Harry when he’s _awake_. Otherwise, I think it is time for you to go back to your Master before he notices you’re gone.”

With a sad look at Harry the Elf snapped his fingers and disappeared on the spot. Severus was already trying to figure out how to ward his house against House-Elves. It was going to be hard, since their magic was completely different than Wizards, but if it was what he had to do to keep Harry safe, he would figure it out.

He looked down at Harry, who was kneading the throw blanket, clearly nervous.

“That’s one way of wasting the night away, I guess.” Severus said trying to lift up the strange mood. It was rather awkward to sit on the boy’s bed in the middle of the night now that the scare had been dealt with.

“I’m sorry for waking you, Sev-Snape,” Harry began, and Severus couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at the sudden change back to his last name.

“Now, Harry, I don’t think you need to go back to that name. I’ve made it quite clear that you are staying here, this is your home, and it’ll feel rather awkward to stand on respect for the unforeseeable future, won’t it? Secondly, I would rather be awake now than wake up tomorrow morning with you gone, and to the _Dursley_ _’s_ no less.” Severus couldn’t help but drawl that last part.

Harry just nodded, but Severus noticed his hands untangled from the blanket.

“Now, what in the name of Merlin was a Malfoy House-Elf doing here?” Severus asked, still confused by this, despite the Elf’s assurances he was there to _save_ Harry.

“He came to my room at the Dursley’s a week or so ago, just before you came to Privat Drive. He had been stealing all my letters this summer, so I wasn’t getting post from Hermione, Ron or Hagrid.” Here Severus recognised the tone of a righteous and pissed off Gryffindor, but he could see the cause this time.

“He told me I shouldn’t go to Hogwarts, because I was “in grave danger”, which like … topping Voldemort trying to choke me is going to be difficult, I tell you.”

Severus was going to die from trying to protect this boy, wasn’t he? Having never heard Dumbledore or Harry really describe what had happened with Quirrel, he was decidedly not ready for this casual drop in conversation.

“Then when I wouldn’t say I’d stay behind this fall, he said I was forcing him and he ran downstairs and made the dessert pudding Aunt Petunia had made float into the living room on top of Mrs. Masons’ head. That was the cause of my window getting barred and the the,” Harry stopped again and Severus could only guess what he’d meant to say.

“Okay, lets hope he’s keeping away now. If not, you come to me and let me know. And Harry?” Severus stopped, waiting for Harry to look up at him. “Never be worried about waking me. You are important.”


	12. Counting down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry forgets to count down that summer

After Dobby, hot chocolate and a good night sleep, Harry and Severus got a couple peaceful days. They developed a routine. The one up first would cook breakfast, which was usually Severus and then they would go to separate rooms, Harry normally upstairs to study and then Severus would call him down to lunch, not having to shout as Harry kept his door open and in the afternoon they would mostly read in a chair each in the living room.

Harry had never in his life had such an easy and uncomplicated life.

In this uncomplicated life, the day of his birth sneaked up on him. Now, it wasn’t the only thing he was thinking about, he was well on his way to finish the Narnia book and Severus had pointed out 6 more in the same series and he was quite looking forward to exploring them all. Now that Ron and Hermione had been told he was safe again, though they were sceptical to Harry’s change of mind about _Professor Snape_ , they were happy enough to have him safe and happy and _writing_. Turns out they’d missed him just about as much as he’d missed them.

So when he woke up, almost a week after Dobby visited, he was shocked when Severus asked him, over breakfast, “What do you want to do tomorrow, for your birthday?”

He’d always counted down. He’d stayed up just to be awake when the clock turned to the day, and this summer, he’d just … forgotten about it.

This was enough to shock Harry into dropping his toast to his plate, but on top of that he was being given a choice of what to do. Because … now he lived with someone who wouldn’t ignore it, wouldn’t lock him away for the entire day.

“Harry?” Severus prompted, tone gentle and quiet, and Harry realised he’d been non-responsive there for a while.

“I’m sorry, I just, well, I’d forgotten.” Harry admitted, biting his lip. Severus looked at him speculating, and then went ahead, when it was clear Harry wasn’t going to add anything, “The Weasley’s sent me a missive inviting you to come over for the afternoon, if you wanted. Arthur thought it was best to go through me since we had to figure out the logistics, but I’d be happy to Floo you over there, or Apparate if you prefer, so you can spend some time with Ron and the others.

But that’s also something you can do any day if there’s something specific you want for tomorrow.”

Harry was completely overwhelmed. He’d never, never had a choice like this. Last Christmas had been awesome enough, with the presents, and the company, but now he was being offered to _choose_ what to do, to _celebrate_ his birthday? It seemed too good to be true.

“Harry, it really is no trouble. It’s one day. If there is one thing I can understand in children, it’s enjoying their birthday. You can go think about it, but let me know soon, so I know our plans for tomorrow.” Severus added, his tone that gentle but firm one that he took when taking about or around Harry’s stay with the Dursley’s.

Harry caught onto two words of that reassurance. Our plans. Severus wasn’t just thinking of shipping him off to wherever and leaving him there to celebrate. He was implying _they_ could celebrate.

It was all too much, and without more than a thought, Harry left the table with a short nod and half-ran to his room.

Severus, left at the kitchen table, with Harry’s half-eaten toast in front of him, couldn’t help but smile with pride. He guessed normal guardians didn’t think to be proud when their child ran off from the table, but Severus knew that when Harry came, from the Dursley’s, he never wouldn’t considered leaving without tidying up and being excused.

Eventually, Severus would go back to teaching Harry proper manners, but first, he was hoping Harry became a proper child, communicating without fear.

He’d put everything away and was finishing putting together a shopping list, for their dinner and such, when Harry came back down, his steps a lot slower and heavier than in the morning.

Harry was tugging on his sleeves, and biting his lip, and while Severus ached a bit at the unwarranted signs of anxiety around him, he could understand this. It took time to feel completely comfortable with a new standing, a new situation. And seemingly, Harry had never been given a choice of what to do for his birthday.

“I’m sorry for running off during breakfast.” Harry began, and Severus couldn’t help but interject, “I’d given you leave, Harry,” and then gestured to him to go on.

“I’ve never really done anything for my birthday. I mean, last year, Hagrid brought cake, and that’s the first time I’d had a birthday cake. I liked it.”

Severus couldn’t help but choke a bit at that. His own childhood had sucked, sure, but his mom had always made sure that his dad was out of the house for his birthday, and they’d had tea and cake and she’d sneak him toys he had to hide. It’d been different after he started Hogwarts, as he’d been in school during the day, but Lily had managed to make it special his first few years. He’d gotten a card from his mom, with a new note on potions, every year on the day, until she’d died.

“If you can’t think of anything, why don’t I try and plan something, and if you have no objection, we’ll go to the Burrow, to the Weasley’s,” he clarified at Harry’s furrowed brow, “in the afternoon like Arthur offered. I’ll Floo him later to figure it out.”

Harry had nodded and then stood there, seemingly unsure of where to go now and what to do.

Not thinking before doing, an event happening more and more as Harry stayed with Severus, he reached out for the boy, beckoning him closer and opening his arms. He’d learned, that fateful day at the Ministry that they did in fact like hugs, they just weren’t used to them. They weren’t a thing to happen spontaneously, but Severus had tried to embrace the boy once in a while, hoping someday, touch wouldn’t make him flinch.

Severus would try and make sure he did everything he could to make Harry’s 12th birthday one he could never forget.


	13. The Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So ... first half of the birthday!

Severus might have went overboard. He Floo-called the Weasley’s after Harry had escaped upstairs and asked if they could have some kids over, Harry’s age, and cake. He’d pushed a purse of money to them, not giving them time to deny it, muttering something about being horrible at hosting social events, “You know, Molly, you’d do it so much better than me, but I just want him to have a real birthday.” 

She’d blushed at the praise and forgotten to argue about the money. 

Severus on the other hand, could not be distracted quite so easily and he kept spiraling. IT wasn’t like it was yesterday that he was a 12 year old, and by that time, he’d been spending the day with Lily, holed up in their secret places around the castle, not wanting to be harassed for their friendship. 

He was fairly sure that no matter what he did, it’d be the best birthday Harry had ever had, but he didn’t think that threshold was really high enough to aim for. 

It was well over midnight when Severus finally resigned himself to needing sleep more than needing to plan more. He’d just have to leave it as it was. 

  
Harry woke up, snuggled with his duvet and throw blanket and he couldn’t help but smile. The fourposter at Hogwarts had certainly felt more like home than the Dursley’s, but here, with things of his own, things from his mother, it really felt like his own home. 

He was just thinking of jumping out of bed and getting dressed, when a tray with breakfast floated into his bedroom. 

“I’d sing, but that really would ruin your day, so instead, Happy Birthday, Harry!” Severus said, the last three words said in a cheery tone that Harry immediately found creepy on Snape. 

“Thank you, sincerely, but please, never use that voice again.” Harry pleaded. 

Severus smiled to him, and the tray floated up to him in bed, and on it was a little bit of everything Harry liked for breakfast. A full English breakfast, plus some Nutella on his toast, and orange juice in a glass. He’d just found out this summer how much he liked it, cause Severus preferred it, so there was always some in the house. 

“I thought, for once, you’d get breakfast in bed.” 

Harry smiled broadly at him, at which Severus just pinked faintly and with a wave of his wand, his tea cup floated into his hand. 

“I wasn’t completely sure what we could do today, in honour of you turning 12, since it has been a while since I was 12 myself, but I had a thought maybe we could go to the Zoo. It’s not far from here and they have just about everything and some activities and rides as well. I’m guessing you haven’t been to many of those before, and it should be pretty safe, no one should recognise you in such a muggle environment.” 

Harry almost knocked his breakfast over. And then he almost chocked on it, trying to nod and hurry up finishing it all at once. 

Severus held his hand out steady and shook his head. 

No need to rush, they don’t open up for another two hours. Plus, I spent time making that breakfast, please take your time to enjoy it. 

Harry felt abashed and looked down at his breakfast in shame. He didn’t want Severus angry with him, so he tried to calm himself, and ate his breakfast at a slower pace. 

  
Severus sighed. 

This had not gone quite like he’d hoped. Maybe he should’ve known to keep the exciting news until after the food, but he’d also wanted time to make another plan, if Harry didn’t seem to like his first one. 

Watching Harry glumly eat his breakfast, like he wasn’t even tasting it anymore, made Severus feel awful. 

He stood up, moving from the foot of the bed to the headboard, dragging the throw with him, knowing it was a surefire way to comfort Harry. 

He took a seat right behind Harry and spread the throw in his arms, before encircling Harry with it. 

“I’m not angry Harry. I just want you to enjoy everything today, breakfast included. How about you let me get a bite of that bacon, huh?” Severus said, trying to be comforting, but at the same time, steer this into a more normal, casual air. 

Harry shivered a bit in his arms, before relaxing and then he deliberately forked a bit of bacon into his own mouth. After a second of thought, he offered Severus a bite of his sausage instead though. 

“You know, I’ve never been to a Muggle Zoo before. My mom wasn’t really interested in taking me out in public much, and my dad wasn’t interested in me at all. So we’re both going to learn something new today, I think.” 

“I’ve been once,” Harry whispered, and Severus stiffened at the cautious tone. He tried to hug Harry closer, knowing this couldn’t be a totally happy story. “It was Dudley’s birthday, last summer, and they couldn’t get someone to watch me, so they had to take me along.” 

Severus clearly heard the emphasis there. They had to take him. Like it was a chore to take along the other young boy to the Zoo. 

“Dudley didn’t want me along, but I was just excited to get to go. Dudley just kept bothering the animals, the snakes, but I thought they just looked lonely and bored. I talked to this Boa and he’d been there is whole life. He got away though,” Harry said, sounding happy about that. 

Severus smiled, happy they’d seemingly turned the topic around, but then, Harry stiffened in his arms. “Uncle Vernon wasn’t happy with what happened though. I didn’t mean for the glass to disappear, but he didn’t care. He just …” Harry stopped here, seemingly noticing where he was and just stuffed his mouth full of toast. 

Severus seethed with rage at the thought of that Muggle punishing Harry for a spot of accidental magic. Children showing signs like that had to be guided through their magic showing, he’d tried to do that for Lily, mimicking what his mother had told him, but it hadn’t been perfect either, as he’d been showing off too. 

Being punished for it, well that was just a surefire way to get them on the path of something dangerous. An obscurial even.

Severus thought back on the whole story Harry had told him and then came to a startling realisation. 

“You said you talked to the Boa?” Severus found himself asking, his tone tense and curious. 

Harry, oblivious to this, tearing into his toast, probably happy Severus wasn’t questioning him about his relatives, nodded, before swallowing and uttering a “Yeah, sure, he was a bit surprised, but he even thanked me for letting him out.” 

Severus sat there stunned. Somehow, this boy, his new ward, was a Parselmouth. And no one knew. He tucked it to the back of his mind, determined to get through Harry’s birthday without any more heavy conversation, but this was something he had to deal with. Talk to Albus maybe, talk to Harry of course. 

Severus was happy that Harry did finish his food, even letting a a smack of happiness at the last bite. Severus prompted him to dress, telling him it was a warm and clear day. 

He went to comb his own hair into something more presentable and dug out his Muggle money purse. 

Soon enough, it was time to leave and Severus couldn’t help but smile at the way Harry’s hair seemed just a touch more under control. 

It was a little-known fact about the Potter hair, that it adjusted to the person’s moods and feelings, mostly the big, undercurrent ones, like how safe they felt, how content. It didn’t always smooth if they were better, but it definitely didn’t look good if they didn’t feel good. He remembered Potter’s, James’s hair had only started getting really messy a while after he started dating Lily, rising off his head like it had a mind of its own. Severus had always privately thought it might be because he was finally feeling something for someone else than himself. 

If Harry’s hair was smoothing out, it had to mean Severus was doing something right. He couldn’t deny it felt good to have a visual cue. 

  
Harry couldn’t stop spinning his head around. He’d been amazed with all things Magic, when Hagrid got him into Diagon Alley, and then later, coming to Hogwarts, but it had been weighed down by the fear that he’d be quick out any minute. That he’d be rejected. 

That wasn’t even a thought on his mind today. He was here to have fun! 

They’d seen lions, and lots of different kinds of monkeys, most of them not called monkeys at all, giraffes, and rhinos and zebras. Severus had been smiling for most of it, which Harry thought still looked kind of odd on him, although he was getting used to it, but when they got to the dark room, with the snakes and the tortoises and alike, Severus’s lips went back to that well known thin line that Harry had gotten oh-so used to at Hogwarts. 

“We don’t have to go in there,” Harry said, although he really was itching to see more kinds of snakes. 

Severus only shook his head and led Harry into the darker exhibit. 

There were lights inside the glass displays, and what Harry thought were heating bulbs, but he didn’t much care for the construction, he immediately zoomed in on a red and white striped snake. He skimmed the sign for the cage, but most of his attention went to locating the snake, making eye contact and whispering, “How are you doing in there?” 

He felt more than saw Severus come up to stand behind him, and thought the man flinched a bit at his question. He hoped Severus wasn’t upset that he cared how the snake like the Zoo, but he didn’t get time to delve on the thought, as the snake answered.

“It’s nice, warm. Why can you talk to us, weird friend?” the snake replied, its tongue peaking out, tasting the air. 

Harry was thrilled. He looked up to Severus, to see if he felt the answer was just as random, but he startled at the pale white colour of his face. He instinctively looked around for a threat, or something that could explain Severus’s reaction, but he found nothing but Muggles looking around at the other displays. 

“You really do,” Severus breathed out. He didn’t say anything more though, and since he didn’t seem to be intent on grabbing Harry and running, Harry decided to keep conversing with the snake. 

He explain how he was magic, and that was probably how, and then they talked a bit about food and warmth, which seemed all this little snake was interested in. 

Harry stopped by a few of the others, and found that the more of them were in one place, and the smaller they were, the more simplistic their train of thought seemed to be. 

“This was so much fun, Severus, thank you for taking me,” Harry said as they exited the dark room. 

They’d gone through most of the Zoo by then and were over to the entertainment area. 

Harry was a bit unsure if he was really allowed to go play there, so he kept close to Severus while they roamed around. 

Before long, Severus stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Now, I’m not likely to join you on any of the rides, but you’re allowed to go around. I bought plenty of the little tickets that you pay for the rides with and you can just have fun. I was thinking of sitting down on one of these benches with a book, if you didn’t mind.” 

Harry couldn’t believe it. He got to go and do all of these, by himself, and he wouldn’t even have to be afraid that Severus would get bored. 

This really was going to be the best day ever. 


	14. Harry's 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And a party!

Severus had to admit, the day had been good, so far. He’d been shaken up hearing the hissing sound from Harry’s mouth, having only ever heard the Dark Lord utter them, but the boy had looked so happy, so amazed by his ability that Severus couldn’t help but let him keep discussing with the snakes at the Zoo. 

He’d gotten quite a long in his book while Harry tired himself out on the rides and various entertainment, and by the time he’d suggested they head back home, Harry was smiling so broadly, that Severus was afraid he looked a bit insane. 

They’d gotten home and Severus made them tea with some biscuit, trying to calm the boy down a bit before they went to the next excitement. He had no idea what the Weasley’s had planned, but he’d never known anyone in that family to be quiet. 

Harry was rambling non-stop about what he’d seen at the Zoo, and about the bigger constrictor he’d talked to for a minute, who seemed to be very philosophical in his words. 

“I mean, I guess he’s just bored, in there, and I get that, being caged up is no fun. But after I let out the Boa last year, I don’t think they’re really any better off being released. At least the get food in the cages.” 

Severus could barely believe it, that they’d circled back to the Dursley’s, to the abuse, again. He had to remind himself, that them being part of Harry’s life for 10 years meant it was pretty much his only frame of reference. 

Severus had never been very good with comforting words, and he didn’t think that they should really get into this on Harry’s birthday, so he did the thing he had gotten used to; he hugged Harry. 

He released him, and immediately changed the subject. “What kind of decorations do you think Molly chose?” 

Harry giggled and then uttered, “Probably Gryffindor-themed,” and laughed harder at Severus’s put on sigh. 

“I can’t believe I adopted a Gryffindor.” He sarcastically lamented. 

Harry stuttered a bit, before just giggling harder. 

  
Harry was blown back by what met them when they came through the Floo. Severus came in after him, and immediately cast cleaning charms on him, banishing the soot. Harry couldn’t follow the wand work though, because the house they’d arrived in was filled with red and gold, balloons, streamers, and floating lights. 

Ron, Hermione, the twins, and two younger girls, one red-headed; that had to be Ginny, Ron’s sister, she was staring at Harry with a look of wonder and then a blonde one, who wasn’t looking at him, but staring quite distracted at the ceiling. Harry didn’t think she was staring at the lights though, but rather the space in-between them. 

Harry though, had barely registered who was there when he was engulfed in a hug by Ron and Hermione. 

“Happy Birthday, Harry!” they shouted at him and Harry couldn’t help but laugh at the noise. 

He’d never been anywhere with these many kids there, just for his sake, and it filled him with warmth, at the same time as he was a bit shy. 

“Well, Harry, when a boy turns 12,” Fred began, clasping him importantly on the shoulder, sounding like he was imitating Percy, but it was George who continued, “we don’t really know what happens, because we felt quite the same,” and all three of them could barely contain their laughter at that point, “but anyways, Happy Birthday, champ, and make sure you get a big slice of the cake, it’s Mum’s famous recipe.” Fred finished, and they both winked at him, exaggeratedly. 

Ron and Hermione grabbed him away from the twins and took him to some of the refreshments that had been left out. Harry didn’t see a cake yet, and guessed it was going to be some sort of reveal. 

“Who is that blonde girl, with Ginny?” Harry whispered to Ron and got a snort as an answer. 

Hermione cut in, “Her name is Luna Lovegood, but Ron called her Loony, I didn’t think it was very nice of him. He said she’s a neighbour, Ginny’s age.” 

Harry frowned. He wasn’t very interested in bullying anyone, and he was just very happy that there were more willing to celebrate the day with him. He vowed to himself to go greet the two younger girls when Ron and Hermione were busy. 

They caught each other up on the first month of the Holiday, and Harry gave away a little about his staying with Severus. He didn’t want to tell them too much, it felt too private still, but he let them know he was much better off there than the Dursley’s. 

“Sev- I mean, Snape is totally different outside of school than in,” Harry said, stuttering through what he was supposed to call Severus around his two best friends. 

They didn’t get further into his own summer, before Molly called them back into the kitchen, to the long table, where a cake floated to the table. Harry had to clench his fist to fight of the inherent anxiety of that, after the incident with Dobby, but he was excited for the cake. It looked awesome, red velvet, with golden decorations. It seemed him and Severus had been right to assume, but Harry was really just glad that there was something he shared with other people, some things he could call his. All of a sudden, as the cake landed on the table, everybody burst into song. 

The only problem was that no one seemed to be singing the same thing. Hermione had begun the Muggle tune, but she couldn’t really hold it, herself, and no one else seemed to be singing that one. No, Molly, Severus and Mr.Weasley seemed to be singing one themselves and Fred and George another one, very ridiculous sounding one, entirely. 

Harry burst into the happiest laughter-fit and soon, everyone had given up on the singing and joined in his laughter. 

He made sure to cut himself a nice big slice and then went to sit with Luna and Ginny, hoping that since Ron seemed to be fighting Fred and George for a spot in the line for cake, he’d get to talk to them for a bit. He never felt good excluding someone, especially as they’d come to celebrate with him. 

“Ginny, right?” he said to the red-head, like there was a question, and then looked to the blonde one, who still wasn’t looking past the ceiling, and said, “Luna?” 

Ginny nodded rapidly and Harry was afraid she’d get a headache if she kept it up, but Luna just looked at him, seemingly just noticing his presence. 

“You’re Harry Potter.” She said, and Harry was a bit afraid he’d get one more of those people that had to explain to him the reason he was famous, but then she smiled, put out her hand as if to shake his and when he did, added, “I’m Luna Lovegood, my mother used to have tea with yours.” 

It was so random, but Harry clung to it, like every mention of his mother. He looked to Ginny, with a raised eyebrow, and she just shrugged, seemingly having gotten over being star-struck when faced with Luna’s strange speech. 

“They’re both gone now, but I think they’re probably having tea in honour of your day anyway.” 

It wasn’t to encourage conversation, but Luna had, in a very unique way, dispelled any tension there could be. Harry knew this was probably the reason Ron hadn’t seemed to like her, and he had a feeling Hermione wouldn’t appreciate the air of … quirky, the non-logic to her sentences. But he liked it, liked Luna. 

Ginny went off to get cake for her and Luna, and meanwhile, Luna kept telling Harry about Wrackspurts, which seemed to be something only she could see, but he liked hearing her speak. 

Eventually, Ron and Hermione had realised he was away and gestured him over, so Harry bid the girls goodbye and went to join his friends. He took the time to scout the room for Severus and found him sitting with Mr. Weasley, only looking a little bit frustrated, so Harry counted it at as a win. 

After a bit of chatting and praising Molly for the cake, Ron and Hermione told him he had to come with them for a minute, and led him over to a small table, filled with presents. 

He choked a bit at the sight. He hadn’t even thought he’d get gifts. The whole day had been glorious enough without them. 

He sat on a plush chair in the sitting room, opening them one by one as Hermione handed them to him. Ron got to keep track of them after Harry had had a look and it was such a picturesque moment, one that Harry never thought he’d get to have, that he had to fight back tears. 

Hermione had given him a Broomstick-Servicing-Kit, Ron had gotten him a book on the Chudley-Cannons, Ron’s favourite Quidditch team, Molly had gotten him a bag of homemade-toffy and Ginny and Luna had gotten him … “A dreamcatcher?” he asked, incredulous. It didn’t feel like a very typical gift for a 12 year old boy, but then again, Luna wasn’t all that typical. 

Ginny blushed and stuttered out, “We made it, Luna suggested,” and then Luna cut in, her tone airy and matter-of-fact again, in that totally special way, “I thought you might get nightmares. They’re good for those. They also catch the wayward good dreams that sometimes sail by too fast to enjoy them.” 

Harry had just watched her silently for a moment, intent not to look at anyone else, with that out in the air, and then nodded and whispered a thanks, looking to Ginny to make sure she knew he was thanking her too. 

There was one more gift, which Harry figured must be from Severus, but reading the note, he found it was from Hagrid. He opened it carefully, finding a few rock cakes that he knew no one could eat, and a picture of Hagrid with Fang, that he thought he could add to the photo album. 

The rest of the evening was spent explaining telling Ron and Hermione about the Zoo trip. He got all excited again, so when Severus came to take him home, it felt exactly like at the Zoo and Harry had to admit, the calm, serious air that followed Severus around was a good influence to calm oneself down. 

He hugged Hermione and Ron goodbye, promising to try and meet them again before the Summer Holidays were over, and thanked Molly for the party. 

“It was really amazing and I’ve never had anything like this and just, thank you so much,” Harry had managed to get out, before Severus had clasped his shoulders, and he felt a bit more grounded, a good thing before stepping into the Floo.


	15. Parselmouth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the talk

Severus was quick to look around when he came through the Floo, and managed to be in the perfect place to grab Harry when he stumbled through.

“How you can have such good balance on a broom, but hate Floo and Apparating is really, a talent,” Severus snorted, and banished the soot off Harry.

“So, did you have fun?” Severus asked, when Harry had finally stopped huffing and puffing over the _horrible transport modes_.

Harry seemed to turn his frown literally upside down. He smiled so brightly at Severus, who was putting down the bag of gifts he’d carried for Harry.

“I mean, it was _so_ _much fun_ , I met Ginny and Luna for the first time and they were nice, and seeing Ron and Hermione again was good, and getting to explain to them a little of what’s been going on. The Weasley’s were so nice doing all that, and then, I mean, no one had to bring presents. It was very kind.”

Severus tilted his head, thinking it was probably not normal for a 12 year old to be so grateful for such basic things, Merlin knew his “godson” wasn’t like this.

He couldn’t help but like this better, or maybe he just understood it better. He hadn’t been this open with his feelings, even with Lily, most often, but then again, he was sorted into Slytherin for a reason. He thought maybe Harry would heal better though, being able to be so open. Severus had really closed himself off because of his childhood, but Harry had even made new friends today.

He walked over to the bookcase lining the wall beside the fireplace, grabbing a box and turning back to Harry.

“I know you have that photo album from Hagrid, so I thought, for my gift to you, I could add to it.” Severus said as he handed it to Harry.

Harry seemed stunned and Severus realised he hadn’t thought he was getting a gift from Severus. Or maybe he’d given up hope when it didn’t appear with the stack at the Weasley’s. But these were just for Harry, at least for now. He deserved peace to go through them.

Severus meant to leave him, just for that reason, but Harry grabbed his wrist gently, not looking up at him, and whispered, “Could you stay, and look through them with me? Tell me…” and Severus did, even though he knew it would hurt, if only because of how Harry’s voice had cracked at those last words.

“Of course I will.” Severus took a seat on the couch, pointed Harry to join him, tugged the boy close, and just as he did, the throw came up to them and Harry giggled a bit. “I love how you do things so effortlessly with magic. I’ve never really, like … it’s different in class, and at school. It’s just … a part of you.”

Severus stalled, his heart breaking for Lily, wonderful, magical Lily who had talked excitedly about raising a child surrounded by magic. Harry hadn’t had that chance, for so long, but hopefully, Severus could make some of it right. Even with the limited time he got.

He knew he wasn’t much, wasn’t the most comforting, but he knew he could be there, be a wall of strength for young Harry, be a point of stability. He remembered how important that was. Lily had been his stability, until … until puberty.

He threw the throw blanket around them, feeling settled with the thought that they had something that was a ritual of theirs. Hot chocolate, or tea, or the throw blanket, to relax and comfort. Maybe Severus wouldn’t need all the words. Maybe this was enough.

Harry went to sleep, carrying up his gifts, the throw blanket draped across his shoulders, and a small smile on his face.

He’d gotten to see so many pictures of his mother, from when she was young; before his dad and he’d had a great birthday, and now he, and his _guardian_ were going to sleep.

Severus woke up early the next morning, and huddled down to his kitchen table, started a pot of tea and thought. As far as he knew, there had been no other Wizard in the last 200 years in Britain, who was a Parselmouth,than the Dark Lord.

He didn’t fancy telling Harry he was just like the Dark Lord, or to in any way insinuate they were related, but it was bound to come up. He also didn’t fancy telling Harry how this would be seen by the public.

He was stilling brooding when Harry bounded down the stairs, clearly more excited for the day than Severus. He gathered himself some breakfast and sat by Severus, but didn’t speak.

Severus knew this wasn’t merely because Harry was good at reading him and knew to give him peace. It was that Harry most likely could read that he was tense, and didn’t dare to bother him.

For that reason only, Severus started to explain.

“Yesterday, you told me you’d spoken to a snake, on the trip with your _relatives_ ,” Severus couldn’t help but spit out the word. He’d never seen why people thought that blood meant people had to be kind. Blood didn’t mean anything, not in the long run. “I was a bit shocked, to be honest, but I wasn’t sure that you meant what I understood, but it was confirmed when we saw the snakes.”

Harry was looking at him with curious eyes, and Severus could only think that those eyes _had_ looked at him like that in the first class, until he’d humiliated the boy, and probably resulting in ruining any interest he had in potions.

“I know that everything _magic,_ must seem pretty equal to you. But just as people accept and understand that not all Wizards are equal, as Headmaster Dumbledore and the Dark Lord are normally considered quite in their own league, not all _abilities_ are available to the everyday Wizard.”

Harry furrowed a brow there and then questioned, “So, you’re saying that I have the ability to speak and understand snakes, but most Wizards don’t?”

Severus smiled, and nodded, proud that Harry had come to the conclusion, but also knowing he’d now come to the hard part. “Yes, but it’s not even just rare. In the last 200 years at least, I only know of one other British Wizard who’s had the gift.”

Here Severus paused and sipped his tea, wondering how to word it, but Harry was looking at him intently, and then he frowned even deeper.

“It was Voldemort, wasn’t it?” Harry guessed, his tone dark and heavy.

It certainly wasn’t a mood Severus had wished upon them the day after such a nice celebration. But he didn’t believe in hiding things from children, just because they were tough. If they needed to know, they needed to know. And Harry had been left clueless about the culture he was a part of, for far too long.

“Yes, Harry, the Dark Lord was a Parselmouth as well. Salazar Slytherin was one of the more famous Wizards in history to have the gift. Because of these two, and their reputations, being a Parselmouth, is often associated with being a dark Wizard.”

Harry balled up his fist on the table, and Severus felt himself tense, waiting for the violent outburst that he was sure would come.

“But, it’s not,” he sighed out, sounding absolutely defeated, unclenching his fist and glaring at his tea. “I mean, I just use it to help them, or to talk to them. They always seem pretty happy for the sake of conversation. What would I _do_ with it?”

It was now Severus’s turn to frown. To a 12 year old, sweet and kind boy, who made instant friends, even with frankly, strange people like the Lovegood girl seemed to be, it would be inconceivable to use a gift to speak to animals, for evil.

“Well, I agree it’s not an inherently a dark gift, these Wizards were dark, and they used their gift not always for good. You don’t just _talk_ to snakes, you can learn to control them, plus, it seems, sometimes they just need a suggestion of what to do. And you have a gift to communicate your wishes, your thoughts to them. And, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but when you speak Parseltongue, you don’t sound like you’re speaking English. I can’t understand you at all, all I hear are strange, scary hissing sounds.”

Harry seemed complexed at this, so Severus figured he’d been right to assume the boy thought he’d been understood when he was speaking.

“So, you’re saying, people are scared of it, because they don’t know it? They don’t understand it?” Harry grumbled, and Severus was that one step closer to seeing that Harry wasn’t a foul, pretentious child as he’d thought throughout the school year, but rather just frustrated at the worlds unfairness. Stupidity.

“It’s just like his stupid name, people are just afraid of the name, except in this case they’re just scared of the idea. It’s stupid.”

Severus couldn’t help himself. He broke out in a snicker.

“I don’t think I’ve ever sat with someone who’s declared the Dark Lord, _stupid_.”


	16. Learning Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And life goes on at Spinner's End. 
> 
> They get closer to the start of term.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, but here it is. I have now finally figured out what direction I want to take this.

Severus had to get busy brewing in the month before term started. Brewing for the Hospital Wing, brewing samples and bases for his classes and re-reading his schedule for teaching. He wanted to change up what potions he was teaching in NEWT levels and it was a tricky thing, since he still had to follow what they’d be tested in.

As he did this, Harry spent his time reading, getting through a few more books in the bookcase. Severus noted that he didn’t seclude himself to his room, although he spent plenty of time there. He rarely had the door closed though, and Severus could see why, remembering the locks fastening the door of his room at the Dursley’s back.

Harry could be found in the kitchen chairs, in the lounge chairs in the sitting room or even lying upside down on his bedroom floor, feet up against his bed and Severus was glad it hadn’t taken more to get Harry comfortable in this home. Their home. Severus knew he had had to fight to feel comfortable in any space not proclaimed his loudly. Even his dorm room hadn’t felt comfortable, not completely.

Harry didn’t ignore his homework though, like Severus was afraid he’d do, with all the leisure books at his perusal. He could be found moaning over his History of Magic essay at the kitchen table when Severus came up for a cup of tea.

“There’s a book here somewhere about the goblin rebellion in 1540 in my bookcase. It’s a bit more in depth than your textbook, but it’s actually easier to read, if you’d like?” Severus commented, calmly as he took a sip of his tea cup and poured another cup for Harry.

The boy looked up, frowning, but his face cleared up as he took in Severus’s words. “Please? Anything is better than this gibberish. I don’t even know what he wants us to say, it feels like they’re all the same.”

“Well, there’s more than one rebellion discussed in this one by Burrows,” Severus said, accioing it over with a quick spell, and as he handed it over, he accioed over the next one, “but this one is a more conversation piece, that summarises the biggest differences in the different rebellions.”

He left Harry to it, having no habit of _hands on helping_ people with their essays, but he and Lily had read a lot more than the reading lists and Severus had kept it up in his adult life and he did like pointing people to the right places to look for knowledge. It was no fun to ridicule them if the hadn’t had a chance to learn. It was only fun if they still couldn’t find it, when handed the manual.”

When Harry wasn’t occupied with his leisure reading, or his homework, he came down to Severus’s lab.

He’d gotten specific instructions on when he was allowed or not (they had a sign) and he had his own desk and chair down there, away from any of Severus’s brewing.

At first, he’d just come down there and watch Severus, but after a few times, he dared ask questions, that Severus would answer more calmly than in class, certainly, as Harry wasn’t brewing, but he himself, but he still kept the boy on his toes, thinking of the reasons, not being just handed them.

Harry was starting to not only ask, but state something, a reason for Severus doing what he was doing and asking if he was correct. It made Severus smile, a tiny little smile, his stomach fluttering with what he could only describe as pride.

“You know, you’re a much better teacher when there are no kids brewing. Maybe you should have some more theory lessons, even show-and-tell, like this, instead of always being on your toes about something blowing up.” Harry had uttered one day, after a good day of back and forth questions.

A week after the party at the Burrow, Harry had come up to Severus one afternoon, when Severus was baking in the kitchen, and sat at the chair.

Severus glanced over, trying to parse what Harry wanted, and was surprised to see the boy nervous and tugging at his sleeves and staring into his lap instead of at Severus.

He waited it out, not wanting to push the boy when he was this anxious.

“I’ve been wondering, I mean, and Ron has owled, I was just,” Harry rambled, and Severus abandoned his kneading dough, casting a quick cleaning charm on his hands, taking the chair beside Harry, looking at him. He took one of his hands and put it over Harry’s constantly moving hands on the table in a calming gesture. Harry looked up at him, relieved and less nervous. “I just wanted to know if maybe I could go over to the Burrow some more times this summer?”

Severus smiled, and nodded, going back to his dough kneading as they discussed the details, and after that, Harry had standing days visiting the Weasley’s.

He never got all that better at Flooing though.

A couple of weeks before the start of term, Harry got the letter from Hogwarts, with his shopping list and Severus knew they would need to start planning for the term. Life wasn’t quite meant to be this easy and quiet for them, now was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if I just want to continue this fic in one work, throughout the second year (and probably third) or if I want to split it up into different works, in the same series, by school year. You're thoughts?


	17. Undetectable Extension Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they go shopping again, this time in Diagon Alley. 
> 
> We get a glimpse of Severus's impression of Lockhart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to make this a series, and as soon as Harry sets foot in Hogwarts for his second year, that's the start of the second work in the series. So make sure to subscribe appropriately if you want to keep being updated. 
> 
> I have also plotted out enough that I'm pretty sure this work is going to end at 20 chapters.

Severus was in a right fit. Harry couldn’t describe it any better. Harry had had a look at his Hogwarts letter, and wondered at the amount of books by one author, but when he’d given it to Severus, the man had huffed and then went back to his brewing, but Harry could notice, after weeks of watching Severus brew, that it wasn’t the same. His movements, although just as precise, were harsher, rougher, bigger.

Harry hadn’t particularly liked the idea of all those books, but he wasn’t this annoyed. All the books had the weirdest titles too, but Harry wasn’t about to start judging the books by their titles. Or their author’s name.

When the potion required two hands again, Severus waved Harry’s book list out, and harry rushed to grab it back.

He read over it again, trying to figure out what had upset Severus, but he couldn’t find anything new:

_Second year students will require:_

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk_

_Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart_

“I guess this is how the damn fool intends to punish me, huh? Getting that horrible imbecile to teach, it’ll be a wonder if they learn anything, probably just the names of the creatures that are in the titles, oh Merlin,”

Harry heard Severus mutter and mumble into his cauldron and wondered if the man had completely forgotten he was still in the room.

Harry got re-writing his History essay, having a better overview of the rebellions now, before Severus looked up at him.

“I guess we’ll have to go to Diagon Alley to get you some of the stuff you need. I’m going with you to get you proper robes and potions ingredients as well.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile at the disdain in Severus’s voice. He couldn’t feel offended, he hadn’t known better and he knew Severus got a kick out of bettering things.

“Can I ask, what it is about Gilderoy Lockhart’s books that made you angry?” Harry said, still smiling at the thought of Severus throwing out all his too-short robes.

Severus shivered and put out the fire under his cauldron. “Damn git was in Hogwarts during my last 3 years. He was annoying blip in the system as a first year, but obnoxious by the time I graduated. I may not have liked … ugh,” here Severus stopped and looked at Harry awkwardly. Harry was confused, until he thought about it and tilted his head. Severus had stopped himself, before talking down Harry’s dad. This was just one more reason for Harry to love it here. Aunt Petunia, or even Aunt Marge had never thought to stop themselves from racking down on Harry’s parents in his presence.

“I’m guessing you meant my dad? It’s alright, I can just assume it was a bit like me and Malfoy. I’m not going to start talking nicely about him around you either, just so you know.” Harry said, wanting Severus to continue. It was sort of fun to hear Severus rip into someone else verbally.

Severus grimaced at Harry, but nodded. “Yes, I did mean Potter, I mean, your dad, he was a bit too pompous for my tastes, much as I guess Malfoy is for yours, but at least Potter mostly praised himself for things he could actually accomplished. I never saw Lockhart manage an impressive feat of magic, but he would go around the whole school mouthing to everyone how much he was praised in class. I _hate_ fakes.”

Harry couldn’t help but agree. “So what makes you think he’s coming to teach?”

“’Cause I know the Headmaster has been having trouble filling the empty Defence post, and to be frank, no one else would assign all those books from that asshat.”

Harry was unable to stop himself from bursting out laughing and only looked up in surprise as a small sound of laughter erupted from Severus as well. It was strange, hearing the man laugh, but it was welcome all the same. Made him more human like.

They left the next morning, by Floo, to the Leaky Cauldron. They stopped first at Gringotts. Harry decided the bank didn’t look any less intimidating now, even with a small growth spurt and more experience with magic.

The goblin and Severus seemed to have some sort of frowning and glaring competition, but finally the goblin asked them to follow. They went first down to Severus’s vault, which was fuller than Harry had expected.

“I will hear no words about you paying for your school supplies. I am your guardian and I will take care of such things. Candy, toys and Quidditch things, those will be on your own tab, though. I haven’t had much reason to spend money in my life, so I’ve got plenty put away.” Severus grumbled as he collected some money, before retreating to the back of the vault to get a few things, that he also stuffed into his robes, without Harry seeing.

This bank trip, Harry knew better than to be curious though. He had no interest in an adventurous year this time. He just wanted to learn even more about magic.

When Harry had gotten some pocket-money from his own vault, they set off. Severus took Harry to the robes shop where Harry met Malfoy for the first time, but he went in with Harry, and even though they were there to get school robes, Severus didn’t let the Witch just start ahead with that.

“I want some durable lengthening-with-you charms, and one set of normal dark robes, without the school crest. Do you have some Wizard’s shoes that could fit him as well?”

Harry didn’t do anything more than last time, just stood there while the Witch’s measuring tape flung around him, but he did walk out with robes and shoes. Severus was quick to shrink up his bags and putting them inside his robes.

“How do you do that? Just keep stuffing things in there, without it showing?” Harry dared ask, and got a small touch of Severus’s hand on his, warm and steady. Severus had the weirdest reactions to Harry’s questions, but Harry was just happy he didn’t get angry.

“Undetectable extension charm. Similar to what makes the Burrow the small on the outside and that big on the inside.”

“Wicked,” Harry replied and let himself be led to the Apothecary.

Seeing Severus deal in potion ingredients, for himself and for Harry was like watching one of Aunt Petunia’s soap operas. There was fighting, and gritting teeth and haggling and Harry was so confused by the end of their stop there, that he couldn’t have told you what they bought, even threatened by Voldemort himself.

They got some ice-cream before their last stop at Florish and Blotts, where Severus got the attendant gather Harry’s school books, and told Harry to take a look around if he wanted any other books, and he himself got lost in the array for a good quarter of an hour.

Harry laughed again as they got rung up, and Severus cursed at the sight of a brightly smiling man on the cover of Harry’s books, and slammed down one of the books he’d picked out on top, to hide the glint of the smile.

Harry read the title, “The Tales of Beetle and the Bard”, on a childish cover, and Harry raised a brow. Was Severus buying something specially for him, again?

“Don’t mind that, I’ll tell you what it’s about when we get home.” Severus said, and Harry shrugged and watched the bag of books fill up even more.

No matter the size and weight, a few charms later, it was stuffed inside Severus’s robes.

“I really think that’s amazing. You could be carrying an entire household in there and I wouldn’t know.”

Severus stopped at that and looked at him in astonishment before letting out a little laugh. “I do not know why I should be carrying that, but I’m glad I’m amusing you, Harry,”

And Harry couldn’t help but think, he’d never had an adult be happy that he was happy like this.


	18. Hot rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry goes to Diagon Alley again, this time with the Weasley's and Hermione. Lockhart is stupid, as predicted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I didn't write out the scene in Florish and Blotts in detail, since it's happening pretty much as in canon, but I'm focusing on Harry's thoughts, as those are pretty much the only thing that has changed.

Harry was experiencing something for the very first time in his life. A good summer.

He was getting his homework done, and even Hermione approved of it, he was getting better at understanding Potions, and on top of all of it, he got to meet his friends.

He’d played Quidditch with the Weasley siblings, and him, Ron and Hermione had had some nice days out in the sun too, when she could come join them.

Severus had entertained him greatly during their shopping trip, and he’d gotten all of his school stuff packed down in his trunk, which Severus had charmed slightly, to make it easier to organise.

On top of all of it, Severus had stopped Harry after supper the evening of their shopping day and drawn out the book Harry had wondered at.

“This might be aimed at children younger than you, but I always thought it was a shame that Muggle-borns didn’t get to hear the most common Wizarding fairy-tales, just as I was sad that my Wizarding friends didn’t know Narnia or even the more common fairy-tales. I thought I could read one story for you a night, before Hogwarts starts up. I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to, but it is a part of your heritage.”

Harry had been touched and had cuddled up on the couch with the throw blanket that was starting to become a staple in these moments.

He’d been happy he agreed after that first one and he just kept loving them. It was curious to get this glimpse into the every day lives of Wizards. This, and his time spent at the Burrow, not to mention living with Severus, who executed effortless magic so often, Harry was getting a feeling for magic that the whole year at Hogwarts hadn’t provided.

Today, Harry was joining the Weasley’s and Hermione in Diagon Alley for some school shopping. Severus is taking him through the Leaky Cauldron again, and they were going to meet the others at Fortesques, where Harry grabbed himself an ice-cream, smirking at Severus, daring him to comment. The others went to Gringotts before meeting up with them. Severus sat by Harry, reading the Daily Prophet while Harry ate.

“Harry!” Harry turned as he heard Hermione’s excited voice, and thanked God that he’d just finished his ice-cream as the girl jumped him for a hug. “My parents are here, and we’re going to potions ingredients, top off on some of the things I have for school and then meet up with the others for the books and it’s so exciting to be here, I’m just hoping to find a bit of extra reading as well, although we already have a long list of defense books, I’m really excited, Mr. Lockhart seems so successful.”

As normally with Hermione, there was little pause as she rambled out the whole plan for the day. Harry smiled, happy to see her, and nodded to Ron who was coming up behind her. The whole procession was following them, but Harry looked away for a second as Severus tapped his shoulder.

When Severus had his attention, he lowered himself down to whisper in Harry’s ear, “I’ll be back at four pm, here at Fortesque, to pick you up. If you need me before that, Mr. Weasley should be able to contact me.”

Harry nodded, touching Severus’s hand for a second as a goodbye. He knew Severus didn’t like to socialise much, especially so out in the public. They weren’t exactly advertising Harry’s change in guardianship either.

Harry moved with Ron and Hermione through their errands, happy that he’d finished his own, just using the opportunity to people watch the Wizards and Witches doing their shopping and chatting with Ron and Hermione. Predictably, Hermione was rambling on about what she hoped they’d learn in the coming semester. Ron was talking about how quiet Percy had been lately, while Ginny had been talking everyones ear off about Hogwarts.

“She’s absolutely killing me. Like, sure it’s pretty awesome to see for the first time, but it is just a school. Like … she’s not getting how boring the homework is.”

Hermione shot in a comment that homework was fun, and Harry silently agreed more with her than Ron. “I mean, it might feel normal by then, but it’s really fun to get to do magic, and all the things we learn, even the homework, just lets us do more complex magic. I think it’s all pretty awesome.” Harry said, hoping not to cause a fight with Ron.

Ron just looked at him with a funny look, as if trying to figure out what had changed, before nodding and looking down. “I guess, I’m just annoyed at her, little sisters, you know,” he defended, to which he got no response, as neither Hermione nor Harry had siblings.

The trio moved on, going to Florish and Blotts to meet up with the rest of the Weasley’s. Harry almost balked from going in the store, it was so full of people. He didn’t need his books now anyway. But, Mrs. Weasley fussed at him, saying he shouldn’t be left alone around here, so he was dragged in with Hermione.

When he heard that Lockhart was there, he almost tugged on Mr.Weasley to call for Severus. He had no interest in meeting the man. He didn’t, not wanting to bother the adults for something so stupid and just ducked his head down and moved along with Hermione.

Lockhart was like the embodiment of Severus’s description. Smiling so bright Harry thought he’d be blinded, the man looked more fake than any Harry had ever seen before. The Dursley’s didn’t even look this fake when they pretended to be perfect for people like the Mason’s.

Harry couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of the Dursley’s.

As he looked up, trying to think of something else, he made eye-contact with Lockhart, whose eyes shot up to Harry’s scar, and the man’s smile dropped for a second, before he was shouting at the photographer standing to the side. Harry blanched.

He tried getting out of it, cursing himself for not having contacted Severus when they went in the store, as flashes went off, the photographer snapping pictures of Harry and Lockhart, Lockhart touching him, making Harry shudder.

He was so preoccupied with thoughts of getting away, that he didn’t catch much of Lockhart’s words, the smile pasted on him constantly, and then Harry was waved away with arms full of books. Apparently, he’d been given the total collection of Lockhart’s books. Signed.

He gave them to Ginny as he walked over to her, while her mother, Hermione and the boys went to the line. Mrs. Weasley smiled at him as she saw and nodded in thanks. Harry knew it wasn’t easy for them to spring out for so many copies of Lockhart’s collection.

Then he heard a voice he had no interest in hearing. Malfoy was coming down the stairs, sneering at him, making comments of him loving the attention alongside Lockhart and Harry ground his teeth and wished to be back in Spinner’s End, away from all of this.

Ginny started yelling at Draco back, and Harry looked at her shocked. She’d been a bit more forward around him in his last few visits, although she wasn’t always at home, but she’d still not shown a lot of personality yet.

Harry couldn’t help but snicker as he thought she was quite alike her brother’s actually, when it came down to it.

Before Harry could really try and quell the fight mounting, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy were there, and they seemed to be even more agnostic than their children. They ended up brawling, surprising Harry. He didn’t think adult Wizards resulted to something other than magic. He didn’t know why they would, really.

He couldn’t help but watch how Mr. Malfoy collected himself to look like nothing had happened, reaching for Ginny’s cauldron and books that had fallen down. Harry felt like he purposefully made the books fall in, and felt suspicious, but before he could think about why, Mrs. Weasley was ushering them out, tutting about grown men behaving like children.

She sent Arthur home with the kids, and Hermione left with her shaken up parents, while Mrs. Weasley stayed with Harry at Fortesques’ waiting for Severus. Fortunately, it was close to four pm, because Harry couldn’t stomach another ice-cream, not with his head full of Lockhart and Mr. Malfoy and Draco and all these people presuming something about him. It made him so angry, that people couldn’t ask, just _assumed_.

He was still fuming when Severus came, and didn’t even notice as Severus thanked Mrs. Weasley, before leading Harry back to Spinner’s End.

Harry was even so angry that he forgot to be frustrated with the Floo, until he tumbled into Severus’s arms at home.

“Now there, why don’t you go clean up and try and find your center again, huh?” Severus quipped at him, making Harry startle out of most of his hot rage.


	19. Venting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry fumes some more, but eventually calms down. Severus helps. 
> 
> Time has also progressed, so we are nearing the end of summer.

Severus sat down, letting the pot of tea sit, hoping that Harry would come down a little less hot-headed. He didn’t know what had happened down in Diagon, but both Molly and Harry had looked deep in thought and angry when Severus came to meet them.

It didn’t come naturally to Severus to be comforting, so he kept his exchange with Molly short. He hoped that when Harry came downstairs again, he’d be closer to normal, so that a cup of tea and some calm talk would be enough to fix the problem.

Harry came down, stomping down the stairs, which he _never_ did, even if he sometimes ran down in excitement and Severus’s lip curled as his hopes were dashed. This was going to take something more than tea, he feared.

As Harry slumped into his chair, dragging it so it was just a bit less angled to Severus, it was clear he was still struggling with his temper.

Severus ignored it, for now, pouring them some tea and taking a sip of his own cup.

Harry didn’t keep quiet, even though he wasn’t talking. He harrumphed, sighed, fussed and Severus had to fight back a smile at the theatrics.

He hadn’t ever thought of how he must have looked and sounded when he was a teenager, but having one in his personal space _all the time_ , not just in classes, made it impossible not to reflect.

He’d been quiet, sure, but he’d still essentially worn his emotions on his sleeve, making it easy for people to target him, either for taunting, like the Marauders, or for even more insidious purposes, like his Slytherin mates, who had influenced him to choose the dark side. The Dark Lord.

Harry did the same thing. They both thought they were hiding themselves away, but they were actually broadcasting their responses quite universally.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Severus started, trying not to pressure Harry into talking, not wanting the boy to blow up completely, but wanting to work through this.

Harry glanced at him, over his own tea cup, and Severus was taken aback at how conflicted he looked. He wasn’t just angry anymore. He seemed both confused and crestfallen.

Severus didn’t know where the response had come from, but without thinking, he was already bringing his hand over to squeeze Harry’s.

“I, well, it was,” Harry struggled, trying to get the words out. Severus looked at him trying to figure out how to help him, when he saw Harry just close up and retreat into a shell that Severus hadn’t seen since they’d come home after the meeting with Amelia. It’d been a turning point, Harry trusting him, coming to him and it seemed that whatever happened today had brought those walls flooding back.

Harry withdrew his hand from Severus’s, standing up suddenly, looking for all like he was going to escape to his room.

Severus reached for him, not grabbing him, but laying his hand on his arm, loosely, and trying to catch his eye. “I won’t stop you, if what you _really_ want is to just go be alone, that’s fine. This is your home, and that is your room, and you can have the space you need. But please don’t rush off because you don’t think you _should_ say what you want. I can’t promise I’ll change my teaching at school, but here, I won’t yell at you for what you feel or say.”

Severus felt some of the tension leave Harry, but his set face didn’t change. After a beat, Harry sat back down.

“It was a really nice day, until we went into Florish and Blotts. It was really crowded and when we got inside, we saw why. Lockhart,” and here Severus could hear the disdain in Harry’s voice and couldn’t help but feel a bit proud that Harry had seen the man for what he was. “He was there, signing books. He spotted me, and I don’t know why he thought it was okay, but he just got them to grab me to the stage and got photographs taken of us and it was just horrible, in front of all those people, I didn’t want it. I didn’t want it, I didn’t want it.” Severus summoned a calming draught and put the flask up to Harry’s mouth and ordered, gently, “Just a sip,” adding a “there we go, it’s okay, I know you didn’t want it,” as Harry did as he bid.

Severus couldn’t help but curse his past self for being one of the underlying causes for Harry’s anxiety here. No one, his own past self included, ever gave Harry peace. He was constantly being told how famous he was, and from what Severus could understand of how Petunia had _raised_ him, he hadn’t known about it at all before meeting Hagrid at eleven.

Severus sighed, and tried speaking again. He hadn’t done this much communication since his first school years with Lily. It was awkward and straining, but he knew it was the only way to really help Harry turn around his childhood, to give him a chance to have something closer to what Lily would’ve wanted, so he was willing to give it a try.

“What I’ve learned in this world, is that people often do not consider the people surrounding them. Lockhart was thinking of nothing but himself. And the people watching you were only thinking of themselves, how lucky they were to be there on the day to see both you. They’re not thinking about a twelve-year-old boy and his feelings.” Severus stopped here, to catch Harry’s eye again and reach over to stroke his hand along his arm.

“But, if one finds friends and sometimes family, to stand at ones side, they will think about your feelings. We might be new at this, and I haven’t really had the best experiences with those two things, but I am here for you. I want you to tell me how you feel about things like that, I want you to let me know how your day goes, and when I can, I will help. Even if it’s just to agree that, Lockhart is stupid.”

Harry looked at him for a long minute, staring intently, like he was trying to decide if Severus was being truthful. Severus held his gaze, and hoped the boy wasn’t too damaged to take the branch of goodwill. He’d started getting an idea of just how few people Harry had genuinely in his corner and it was so different from what Severus had thought.

He didn’t want to excuse himself, but he had acted like he had because he didn’t think he would need to protect the boy mentally, he’d thought it enough to add to his physical protection. He’d figured Dumbledore would make sure the boy had enough support personally. He’d even thought he’d need to be shown the whole world wasn’t going to lap up his _brilliance_ , like James, Gilderoy, and now Draco needed. They had all had a pack of people around them telling them they were so bloody good and great every second of the day, that Severus had thought they needed a it of some resistance.

Eventually, Harry’s face softened and he turned his hand palm up and grabbed Severus’ hand as it was on a down stroke of his arm.

“I’m glad. Also, maybe we need a “Stupid Wizards others Idolize” list? Voldemort being at the top, then Lockhart?”

Severus burst out laughing. The tension in the room dissipated and he was happy to hear Harry laugh alongside him.

Harry woke the next morning, unsure of why he was smiling, but happy he was. He got downstairs, found Severus wasn’t down yet, so he started on eggs and bacon, wanting to share his good mood with good food.

Severus came down, also smiling at the smell and they had an easy and quiet breakfast.

“So, it’s only a week until the start of term, and unfortunately, that means I have to go over there for a few meetings and such. I think we need to start talking about how we are going to tackle the school year, and Hogwarts.” Severus said as they cleaned up, working in harmony, Harry enjoying drying the dishes and then feeling them float out of his hands into the cupboards as Severus magic worked all around them.

Harry hadn’t considered that to be a topic they needed to talk about, but Severus didn’t bring things up if they weren’t relevant, so he just nodded.

“I don’t very much like leaving you here, even though this place is warded like crazy, I’ve seen enough horrible things happen to not be wary of that. I normally leave for Hogwarts around this time, to avoid all the back and forth, but this year, you have a say in that choice.

And Harry, it is a choice. If you want, I can go to the meetings and you can stay with Ron during them and you can take the train with Ron and Hermione on the 1st of Sept and I can Floo over to Hogwarts after I see you off, so I can make sure things are set up for Slytherin House when the students arrive.”

Harry thought for a second. He was pretty sure that if he’d been asked before yesterday, he would’ve liked to just be off at Ron’s during the time Severus was off, happy to hand out with his friend.

He just, felt so frustrated with people always just seeing his _fame_ , that now, spending a week at an almost empty Hogwarts, just seeing Severus, and at worst, the other teachers, sounded like heaven.

Yesterday, he’d been so conflicted, not having a good experience with telling adults his problems, but Severus had treated him so well, been so calm, that Harry could almost trust it.

“I think I would like it if we just left of Hogwarts. I’m a bit done with people, and both Ginny and Mrs. Weasley seemed to moon over Lockhart and I definately can’t listen to that for long. But how would that work? Do I just go stay at my dorm?”

“No, my chambers expand to my wants and needs, I came back one autumn to a whole new brewing lab, private, after I had trouble with separating the school brewing from my own private brewing. I’m sure, if I bring a child in my care to school, that they will provide you with a room.”

Harry gaped, amazed at the casual mention of such enormous magic. Hogwarts was truly amazing.

“You’ll have to leave for your dorm at the start of term, I suppose, but Harry, I want you to come to me with your problems. And they don’t have to be huge either.”

Harry smiled, handing off the last dish to the magic and nodded.

Severus looked at him like he didn’t think was quite the end of that conversation, but he left it be for now.

“Well then, I think that means we have to pack.”


	20. Family Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we come to the end of summer. Tying up the loose thread of Dumbledore, and more mentions of Lily. Severus comes clean to some of his other plans and discoveries.

Harry was trying to pack his whole room up, he’d already packed the things he’d bought for school special, and his robes and wizard clothes, but now he was looking at his wardrobe, his _Muggle_ wardrobe, and his bookcase - well, they were really Severus’s books, weren’t they? He shouldn’t claim them, shouldn’t take them with him.

He was standing conflicted over his already quite full trunk when Severus came to stand in the doorway.

“Trying to pack your whole life into the school trunk, are you?” He asked, with a small smirk on his lips.

Harry didn’t look up, just ran his hands through his hair again in frustration and huffed out, “well, yeah,” and kept trying to figure out how much of what Severus had provided him with, he could _actually_ take.

He only looked up a minute later, when he realised that he hadn’t heard Severus reply, or leave.

Severus was frowning at him, and when Harry locked eyes with him, Severus sighed and walked over to Harry’s bed, grabbing his hand and pulling him down beside him.

“Harry, this is going to continue to be your home. Your room. You can leave what you don’t need for school here. Old books, clothes you don’t think you’ll use, whatever.”

Harry felt a knot in his stomach loosen at those words. Home. _His home._ Not much had been his, not really, before.

“You can also take whatever is in here that you’d like to have with you. Any of the books, any of the clothes, whatever you want, Harry. I’ll cast extension charms on your trunk, or lend you another if you need it. Don’t fret.”

Harry thought it was surreal to have an adult, _a guardian_ , that could read him so well.

“Thank you,” he muttered, already feeling better about the whole thing.

He’d always carried all his possessions with him, never leaving something to someone else’s power for a long time.

They arrived at Severus’s chambers by Floo, and Harry had his first look around. It was similar to how Spinner’s End was, clean, not _too_ tidy, and full of nooks and crooks to curl up and read. There were a few doors, which Harry guessed were to a bathroom, bedroom and brewing room, but then, before his eyes, the space between two doors widened and another door appeared.

“Told you the castle would know. Go on, go explore.”

Harry looked at Severus to see him grinning, an unusual but happy sight and then ran off to look at the room. His trunk followed, floating.

Magic. It was truly mind-boggling sometimes.

Severus had thought he’d get them settled, long before the first scheduled Heads of House meeting the next afternoon. So when a summons from the Headmaster came, for him to stop by the office after supper, he was surprised.

“Harry, I’m going to be gone for an hour max, just read some. I’ll be in the Headmaster office if you need anything,” Severus announced to the boy who was looking curiously at the summons.

Harry nodded, and Severus couldn’t help but

feel a bit strange leaving him there alone. He hadn’t left Harry alone at Spinner’s End ever and only parted from him when leaving him in the care of the Weasley’s since he’d taken him from Petunia.

He tried to shake it off, but as he walked up to the Headmaster’s office, he was still feeling a bit paranoid. He told himself he couldn’t feel like this forever, when term started he wouldn’t be able to see the boy for days on time.

He was deep in thought still as he walked in and took his seat.

“Severus, my boy, you’ve had quite the eventful summer, haven’t you?” Albus said to him, bringing him back to the present.

“No more than the last school was,” Severus replied, not wanting to give away more than necessary. He always felt that dealing with Albus required just about the same amount of restraint and thought as dealing with the Dark Lord.

Albus smiled at him, but Severus wasn’t reassured.

“Can we get to the subject of this meeting? I was quite enjoying my first night back in the castle.”

“I thought we should talk about the fact that you’ve brought someone with you to the castle. Without talking to me about it.”

Severus scowled now, and he wasn’t going to try and keep it under wraps. “Why should I? Family is included in our contracts.”

Albus smiled again, but this time it looked like he thought Severus was being a bit dumb. Severus was used to this look, as sometimes he acted obtuse to get people to state their point more clearly, but this time, he was honestly confounded on why this was a subject of discussion.

“Harry isn’t your family. He’s the Boy-Who-Lived, Severus,” Albus said, but before he could go on, with whatever planned speech he had, Severus interrupted.

“That’s all good and well, but beneath that title that everyone likes to throw in his face, is a child. You run a school fool of them, you should be able to see that they need care and support. Neither of which he was getting at that place you left him. So I corrected your mistake. Rather, _Petunia_ did.

And finally, to correct you, Harry is my family. I did the paperwork with Amelia, for guardianship, but we put a proper adoption in the works after that and it got approved two weeks ago. He could take my ruddy name if it would do any good, you know. From now on, his whereabouts, outside of school terms, are none of your business, Headmaster.”

Albus had dropped the smile by the time he finished venting out to the man.

“I see. I wish you hadn’t done that, Severus, it was essential for the boy to stay with Lily’s blood, for her sacrifice protects the boy,” Albus said, sounding and looking disappointed and weighted down by some seemingly unavoidable danger.

Severus raised his brows to the man. “Blood wards like that only work if the subject feels at home within the wards. Harry probably didn’t feel much like that was his home before he left it, and he definitely won’t be protected there if you try to bring him back there now.

Lily’s sacrifice also didn’t specify her sister’s blood. As long as _Harry_ feels at home behind a house’s wards, Lily’s protection will be added. I should know, I felt them snap into place when the boy first started to feel of our home that way.”

Severus stared at Albus, daring him to say Severus was wrong, say Severus wouldn’t know the touch, the feel of Lily’s magic.

Instead, the man looked shocked, and then a bit wondrous. A small smile, much more genuine than the ones he’d tried to trick Severus with earlier, arose on his lips and he pushed his glasses further up his nose.

“Of course. Magic based on love is always so hard to predict. I was just trying to do what looked logical.”

“Yes, well, logical and love aren’t very well entwined, now are they?” Severus spat out, thinking to himself that he didn’t think Albus knew love well enough personally to think of the function of blood wards, of love magic. True magic.

“No, I guess not,” Albus replied, finally sitting back more relaxed than Severus had seen him in years. “Well, my boy, I won’t keep you any longer. I have much to consider now, with this new knowledge. Thank you for seeing me.”

Severus strode out, as he’d started feeling that pit of paranoia again now that he was not busy dealing with Albus. How did people let their children off to Hogwarts for whole terms, whole school years at a time? He was barely prepared to let Harry out of his sight for the days he would need to this winter, but he at least would also be in the castle, would teach the boy.

_Their children_. _I guess there is no hiding it anymore, avoiding it. He_ _’s mine._ Severus thought as he continued on his fast pace walk down to the dungeon.

Walking in and seeing Harry sitting in the sitting room, reading with that crooked blanket around his shoulders, he finally breathed.

They’d be alright. What he’d told Albus was right. They were a family and Harry’s home was with him now. Lily seemed to approve, her magic falling in sync with Severus’s own wards, first at Spinner’s End and now, just barely, a slight tingle of her had settled around his private wards around his chambers.

Maybe it was time to tell Harry about his mother’s magic.

“Harry,” Severus whispered, and Harry was glad he hadn’t spoken louder, cause he was so immersed in his book. “I have a few things I want to tell you, if you can put down the book.”

Harry looked at him curiously, at first a bit scared that it’d be bad news since Severus had been summoned to somewhere before.

“Sure, I’m just finishing the last page of this chapter, if you won’t mind?”

Severus just nodded and went to the small kitchenette, supposedly to warm them some tea. Harry went right back to his book, to finish quickly.

When Harry finished, Severus sat by his side, close enough to touch if need be and Harry looked towards him, curling up in the warm blanket.

“Harry, this summer, I didn’t just fill out guardian papers, although those were the most important, I also filed for adopting you. It didn’t, doesn’t have to mean anything to you, but it makes our whole case more legit, to magic and others. I wanted to make sure no one could object to me taking you from Petunia, do you see? That no one could sue me for custody.”

Harry was shocked. He’d been grateful to Severus for ensuring he was out, but this was a step further. “What do you mean it doesn’t have to mean anything to me?”

“I mean, that when I filed, I didn’t ask you, because I will only ever stand firm on my claim to you, as long as you want me to. This in no way means you are obligated to think of me like family or stay with me until you grow up, but it gives you the option. I am offering all of that. I did so, as soon as I filed. I should add, it got approved in the middle of August.”

Harry felt himself shaking slightly, trying to absorb what Severus was saying. He had definitely felt at home since Severus had taken him to Amelia, and he’d felt safer and better with Severus than ever before. He’d never thought Severus would allow that label to it though.

“I would like it, all, Sev,” Harry hadn’t meant to shorten Severus’s name, but he felt so much, that he choked on his words.

Severus just looked at him with an open expression, so Harry tried not to feel too bad.

“I’m glad. That brings us to the other thing I have to tell you. I sort of knew you felt at home with me, at the very least, because, after we arrived back at Spinner’s End after the trip to the Ministry, my wards had changed.”

Harry had only ever heard people reference wards, and they seemed to be something that protected people’s houses to outsiders.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, confused about how he could have anything to do with Severus’s wards changing.

“Well, I don’t approach this subject lightly, and before this summer, I don’t think I would’ve ever volunteered to talk about that night, but it’s essential to this topic.

When,” and here Severus took a breath and seemed to steel himself. “When Voldemort came to your parents' house, he had a way to get into the wards, but your mother did not just surrender to the inevitable like so many before her. She would not let anyone bring you harm, and when she died, her magic latched on to that wish of hers, her sacrifice, her willingness to die for your protection and it stuck to you, and your shared blood with her, to honour that wish.”

Harry was shocked that Severus would make the effort to say Voldemort’s name, but he was happy.

“Albus thought this meant you had to stay with Lily’s blood relative, of which, only Petunia was left alive. Albus didn’t know Lily’s magic intimately though.

I have no way of knowing if the blood magic ever protected you at the Dursley’s but by the time I came to collect you, there was no trace of it. When you got the blanket, a sliver of it came through, bringing with it some of the warmth of the love of Lily, but that was nothing compared to how it felt when you started thinking of the house as home.”

Harry couldn’t help but curl deeper into the blanket’s embrace, smiling and feeling a unique warmness in his heart as he finally got words to the feeling of the blanket. It really was his mom. A small smile painted Severus’s lips too, and he kept going.

“It was like she had warded the house with me. It’s even more powerful than when she was alive, her entire being’s magic fueling it, so I do not doubt that no harm will come to you in that house. Not as long as that magic is there. Some of it is here with my chamber’s wards as well.”

Harry took a look around as if he could spot the magic with his naked eye, but as he realised that of course he couldn’t, he couldn’t help but wish for Severus’s awareness, wanting to feel his mother’s magic too.

“I assured Albus of the fact that you were more, not less protected with this change in family, and doing so, got reminded that I’ve told you I’ll share with you, I’ll tell you what matters for you, even if I deal with the problems.

This isn’t a problem though, it’s just your mothers love for you. Protecting you the best it can.”

Harry couldn’t help but cry a little. Severus gathered him up in his arms, wrapping the blanket tight around Harry and as Harry closed his eyes, he felt something he didn’t ever remember feeling. Safe, happy and home, as if with a proper family. He felt like he could brave anything. His first year at Hogwarts hadn’t gone perfectly, but he had high hopes for this one. It couldn’t possibly be anything but better, now that he had Severus by his side.

Family. _Family_. It felt like magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here ends this work. Don't worry, the start of Harry's second year isn't far off, just as soon as I figure out how I'm going to change the tone as I start involving more characters. 
> 
> I'm overwhelmed with the response this story as gotten. It literally sprouted off one errant thought after listening to book 1, HP, and somehow sprouted into this, just over 30k words of only half a Summer Holiday. Who would've thought.


End file.
